Area forecast
Here’s a look at weather conditions for the next few days:
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of rain. Otherwise, mostly cloudy and a low around 38.
Tuesday: Occasional rain. High near 43. Snow showers possible late.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 46.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50.
Source: National Weather Service
A rainy winter, with more wetness on the way in Northeast Georgia, has been a good thing for Hall County firefighters.
"The only thing we see during those times is additional car wrecks," Chief David Kimbrell said. "The wet weather is good for us in that it keeps forest fires and people burning outside — campfires and et cetera — down to a minimum."
Another bonus is chances for a greener spring and summer. Generally, people begin spring cleaning in early spring when grasses have yet to emerge and are more of a fire hazard, Kimbrell said.
"Rainy weather is great for us in the long run," he said.
Rain, which hammered Hall County last week, threatens to return to the area again tonight and may last through Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service in Peachtree City.
The chance for rain on Tuesday is 90 percent, with snow showers possibly Tuesday night as the temperature dips to about 30.
Last week, a flood watch was in effect and concerns resurfaced that more snow or frozen precipitation might strike again.
Temperatures ended up falling, along with some occasional snow flurries. Also, nearly 2 1/2 inches fell on Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport in Gainesville between Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning.
Rob Handel, meteorologist at the weather service, said North Georgia’s winter — weeks featuring bright sunshine and bouts of cold and rain or snow — is following "a classic pattern" of El Niño, when weather is colder and wetter than normal.
"You get these troughs in the Eastern United States that keep the storm track right across the Southeastern U.S. right up into the Mid-Atlantic states," he said.
How long El Niño will last "is a little less certain," Handel said.
"It usually starts cutting off sometime in the spring, but it’s not entirely clear," he added. "In the shorter term, at least up in the mountains, we do expect some potential for measurable accumulations of snow and possibly ice."
Beyond Tuesday, area conditions should improve — at least for a few days.
Skies are expected to be mostly sunny through Saturday, with temperatures hovering around 50, according to the weather service’s forecast.