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Somewhat cooler temps move in, but rain staying away
Dry weather expected through Sunday
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Adam Suggs, left, and John Motes launch a boat Saturday into the waters of Lake Lanier at Laurel Park in Gainesville. - photo by SARA GUEVARA

Rain is out of the forecast this week, but a relative cold snap is in the works for today.

After a balmy Sunday, with the mercury reaching the mid-60s, area residents should expect the high temperature to reach only 51 today, according to the National Weather Service in Peachtree City.

And with mostly cloudy skies in the outlook, today could almost seem like winter, instead of the short-sleeve, springlike weather that has enveloped the area recently.

But it won't last long.

Conditions are expected to improve somewhat through the week, with partly sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 50s to mid-60s. Cooler, more seasonable weather is expected to return by the weekend, according to the weather service.

"We are seeing cooler temperatures behind (a cold front) but not a lot," said National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Gibbs on Sunday. "We're still pretty warm throughout the whole United States."

Dry weather, in the meantime, is expected to linger through Sunday.

Soggy weather has been the norm through most of the winter, with Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport in Gainesville receiving nearly one third of an inch of rainfall between Saturday night and early Sunday. More than 5 inches fell in January.

Much of North Georgia, including North Hall, is out of the drought that has gripped at least part of the county since May 17.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor's latest report on Thursday, South Hall remains "abnormally dry."

Recent rainfalls have helped refill Lake Lanier, which stood at 1,062.82 feet above sea level Sunday.

The lake, which has risen half a foot in the past week, had dropped to 1,057.91 feet on Nov. 14, its lowest point in 2 1/2 years.

Lanier has been steadily refilling since Nov. 28, topping the 1,060-foot mark on Jan. 9. It now is about 7 feet shy of the winter full pool of 1,070 feet.