WEATHER: Rainy morning giving way to couple days of sunshine before wet forecast returns for weekend

It won’t feel too terribly warm out over the coming days, but NWS Peachtree City is noting that Northwest Georgia will still be somewhat mild for wintertime temperatures during the day, and dip overnight below freezing.

Forecasts call for cloudy skies to start the week to give way to sunshine by Tuesday, but expect overnight drops of the mercury down below freezing for the coming nights as well.

Sunshine is expected through the rest of the week and highs in upper 40s through upper 50s around Northwest Georgia, and down into the 20s and 30s overnight.

The pattern is expected to stick around through the next seven days as the holiday season continues, with no expectation of precipitation mixing in with freezing temps through the coming days as well.

With overnight temperatures dipping below freezing throughout the region, it is a good reminder to ensure four things are being taken care of before the thermometer dips too low and causes problems. Check on people, pets, plants and pipes.

Those who aren’t able to have normal heating sources should be checked on regularly to ensure they are remaining warm overnight or find shelter amid freezing temps. Pets should be brought inside overnight as well, or be provided a heat source to remain warm if they have exterior quarters of their own, like a shed or barn.

Plants should also be brought inside to avoid freeze damage if they aren’t able to survive the cold – especially any tropical plants. Pipes should be left to drip slowly overnight to keep them from freezing up and causing damage as well.

Northwest Georgia’s latest round of mild-to-freezing temperature bounces are being caused by arctic high pressure fronts moving down from Canada across the eastern half of the United States over the coming days. The impact should begin to trend more downward toward below-average temperatures through the weekend and highs are expected to stick in the 30s and 40s around Northwest Georgia, and below freezing overnight.

A large portion of the nation is expected to feel the freeze from arctic air moving southward, but it shouldn’t last too long. The extended forecast into next week calls for sunshine and temps to return to this week’s pattern through Wednesday, when chances of rain extend through Thursday morning and then clear away before a weekend of mixed clouds and sunshine heading into Christmas week.