Flash Flooding Possible With GA Downpour: NWS

GEORGIA — Georgians can expect to carry an umbrella with tons of rainfall forecast the next few days.

Furthermore, as drought conditions continue, so do the fire danger conditions for west and central Georgia.

The weather service issued a fire danger statement for Thursday afternoon into the evening due to low relative humidity levels. The fire danger affects several Georgia counties, including metro Atlanta.

The conditions are due to a dry air mass, Nikole Listemaa, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Peachtree City office, told Patch.

"Please refer to your local burn permitting authorities whether you may burn outdoors. If you do burn outside, use extreme caution," the weather service said in the statement.

Come overnight Thursday, Listemaa said light showers are possible with the heavier rain expected late Friday morning to early afternoon. The rain may come with rumbles of thunder, she said.

The rain is due to a cold front arriving Friday that is anticipated to slow down and stall in central Georgia through the weekend. The stalled front is expected to trigger a low-pressure system to rise east along the front, Listemaa said.

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In northeast Georgia, the rain is expected to begin as sleet before transitioning into rain late Friday morning, she said.

With a 30-40 percent chance for rain early Friday morning, the work commute could be a wet one though Listemaa said the rain chance should ramp up between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.

On its Facebook, the weather service said Thursday the heaviest rain is anticipated to pour Saturday. In north Georgia, 1 to 3 inches of rain is expected while central Georgia is expected to see at least 4 inches of rainfall.

As the days go, Listemaa said isolated flash flooding cannot be ruled out with thunder possible in the affected portions of the state. Locally heavy rainfall is another main hazard.

The downpour is expected to last through Sunday night, possibly into Monday.

Temperatures Friday and Saturday should be above normal and should decline below or near normal by early next week, Listemaa said.

The weather service shares updates via its website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.