Very dry air will elevate wildfire danger this afternoon across Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia, with relative humidity expected to drop below critical levels (near or under 25%) while vegetation and fine fuels continue drying. Even though winds won’t be extreme, the combination of low humidity and dry fuels can allow any spark to spread quickly—so it’s a good day to avoid outdoor burning and be extra careful with anything that produces heat or embers.
A noticeably cooler and drier pattern is settling over Georgia to start the week, bringing brisk mornings to Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia while also fueling heightened fire-danger concerns elsewhere in the state today and Tuesday.
Northwest Georgia will see a blustery finish to the weekend as a secondary push of colder, drier air moves through Sunday, bringing gusty winds and a stretch of mostly dry weather that could elevate fire danger early this week across Chattooga County and surrounding communities.
A Flood Watch remains in effect through 8 PM Saturday for Northwest Georgia, including Chattooga County, as periods of moderate to heavy rainfall keep flash flooding a concern into the afternoon and evening.
Chattooga County and communities across Northwest Georgia are heading into a wetter, more active stretch of weather as multiple rounds of rainfall build in this afternoon and continue into Saturday. With repeated waves moving over the same areas, forecasters say there’s an increasing chance for localized flash flooding and river flooding, especially in low-lying spots, poor-drainage neighborhoods, and areas near creeks and streams.
Drivers across Chattooga County and Northwest Georgia should use extra caution early today as dense fog is expected through about 10 a.m., with visibility dropping to a quarter mile or less in some areas.
A Dense Fog Advisory is in effect for Chattooga County and much of Northwest Georgia through 10 a.m., with some areas possibly seeing reduced visibility until 11 a.m. Officials warn that visibilities could drop to one-quarter mile or less, creating hazardous travel conditions during the morning commute.
Chattooga County and the rest of Northwest Georgia stay unusually warm today and Wednesday as southwest winds keep moisture and mild air in place. Expect mostly cloudy skies with afternoon highs in the upper 60s to near 70, about 15 degrees above normal for early January. A few isolated, light showers could pop up overnight, but rain chances and amounts look low for now. Winds may get a little gusty at times today, with gusts up to around 20 mph possible across the northern tier of Georgia.
Northwest Georgia is in for a notably mild stretch to start the workweek, with temperatures running 10 to 25 degrees above average across the region.
A Dense Fog Advisory is in effect early Sunday for Chattooga County and surrounding counties across Northwest Georgia as widespread patchy dense fog reduces visibility in many areas. Patchy dense fog is expected between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sunday, with the thickest fog producing visibility as low as one-quarter mile or less.
