National Weather Service radar
This Afternoon: Occasional showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 76. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2am, then a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming west between 5 and 10 mph.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64.
National Weather Service Forecaster Laura Griffith said Gainesville is experiencing a system that has traveled up through Atlanta.
At 11 a.m. today, 1.2 inches of rain had fallen at Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport, according to the National Weather Service Web site.
"The Gainesville and kind of the east-metro areas are currently experiencing the heavier amounts of rainfall," Griffith said.
The rain will likely continue and then move north.
"All of this is resulting from a low pressure system over Alabama," Griffith said. "We're looking at two to three inches from today."
Griffith said as the system moves toward the mountains they may consider issuing a flood watch later in the day.
"This should be fairly day-long event," Griffith said. "Specifically when we get into this afternoon we're going to be watching the more mountainous terrain. That terrain can cause some additional developments."
Griffith said rain is also possible Saturday and Sunday.
"The next thing we're watching is a cold front that's going to push through and may bring some chances of rain later in the weekend," Griffith said.
There is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms Saturday, which will go down to a 30 percent chance Saturday night and Sunday. There will only be a 20 percent chance of rain Sunday night.
"It should be nice by Tuesday," Griffith said.