Thunderstorms were expected to sweep through the area overnight, according to the National Weather Service, which had issued a hazardous weather outlook for Hall and surrounding counties.

Rain was likely between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., followed by possibly thunderstorms. Up to a half-inch of rain was also possible during that time, according to the Peachtree City-based weather agency.

Another three quarters of an inch of rain could fall on the Hall County area on Monday.

Conditions should settle down by Monday evening and dry, cloudy conditions could linger in the area until Wednesday night, when another chance for rain is predicted.

More of the wet stuff is expected through Saturday, with high temperatures in the mid-60s.

The steady rains have been nothing but a boon for Lake Lanier, which has jumped in elevation by one foot in the past week.

The lake was sitting at 1,060.42 feet above sea level last Sunday and is at 1,061.42 feet Sunday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The upward trend is a reversal of conditions in the fall, when the lake was dropping 1 foot about every 10 days, sinking to as low as 1,057.91 feet on Nov. 14. The historic low is 1,050.79 feet, set on Dec. 26, 2007.

The lake's elevation is now less than 9 feet below the winter full pool of 1,070 feet, but it's just 3 feet from when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it can reboot its dock permitting process.

The corps stopped reviewing dock permit applications in September because of dropping levels. At that time, Lisa Coghlan, spokeswoman for the corps' Mobile District, said the process would be "suspended until the elevation of the reservoir is sustained at 1,064 (feet)."