With leaves falling off the trees, Thanksgiving behind us, and wet, chillier weather on the way, winter - still three weeks off - appears to be rearing its head.

Rain is in the forecast through Tuesday night, with up to 1 inch of rainfall expected over the period, according to the National Weather Service in Peachtree City.

And high temperatures are predicted to fluctuate through the week from the 40s to the 50s. Overnight lows will be near or below the freezing mark.

The Hall County area still needs some rainfall - it has about a 6-inch deficit for the year. Wet weather should help continue to steer the region away from drought.

Also, it will help benefit Lake Lanier, which stood at 1,067.85 feet above sea level on Sunday evening.

The summer full pool is 1,071 feet. Winter full pool, which starts Wednesday, is 1,070 feet. The last time the lake, which is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was at either level was Aug. 25.

After Tuesday, skies are expected to clear and conditions remain dry through Sunday, according to the Weather Service.

A La Niña atmosphere pattern in play for the eastern U.S. could mean drier, warmer than usual months ahead, perhaps into the spring, forecasters have said.

The reverse happened in late 2009, when an El Niño pattern produced a wetter, colder winter than usual.

If above-average rainfall happens, defying predictions, expect the corps to keep a tight rein on water levels.

"To hold the lake above (full pool) could have serious lakeside impacts," said Lisa Coghlan, a Mobile, Ala.-based spokeswoman for the corps.

Wet weather "would impact our flood fighting abilities" in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River basin, which includes Lake Lanier, she said.