Warm spring air, increasing humidity, and an approaching line of storms will make for an active weather day across Chattooga County and the surrounding Northwest Georgia region.

Through this afternoon and into the early evening, only isolated thunderstorms are expected, so not everyone will see rain at first. Still, any storm that manages to develop could quickly become intense for a short time, bringing gusty winds, small hail, dangerous lightning, and brief bursts of heavy rainfall.

The more organized weather threat comes later tonight.

Forecasters are watching a line of showers and thunderstorms expected to move into far northwest Georgia late this evening, then push across the rest of the area overnight. A few storms along that line could become strong to severe, especially in the northwest corner of the state. The main concern will be damaging wind gusts, although torrential downpours and frequent lightning will also be possible as the line moves through.

For Saturday, skies will stay partly sunny and very warm, with a high near 84 degrees. Rain chances remain limited for much of the day, with about a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms developing mainly after 5 p.m. Southwest winds will run from 5 to 10 miles per hour, with gusts as high as 20 miles per hour.

By tonight, storm chances ramp up sharply. There is a strong likelihood of showers and thunderstorms overnight, especially after 11 p.m. Some storms may produce heavy rainfall, and rainfall totals of three-quarters of an inch to one inch are possible in spots. The low will fall to around 56 degrees, with south winds around 5 miles per hour and gusts up to 15.

Rain and a few thunderstorms may still be around early Sunday, especially before 8 a.m., with showers lingering into the afternoon before gradually tapering off. Sunday’s high will be noticeably cooler, topping out near 70 degrees as north winds begin pulling drier air into the region.

By Sunday night, skies turn partly cloudy and temperatures drop to around 45.

The start of the new week looks much quieter. Monday will be mostly sunny with a high near 70, followed by a stretch of dry weather through Friday. Highs are expected to stay close to 70 through midweek before climbing into the mid to upper 70s by late week, with cool nights and plenty of sunshine.

The main message for today and tonight is simple: enjoy the warm weather while keeping an eye on the sky, especially late tonight when the strongest storms are expected to move through Northwest Georgia.