Atlanta weather: Heavy rain for metro area, with a wintry mix in the mountains

By Mike Morris and Alexis Stevens

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Keep the umbrellas handy: There is a 100 percent chance of rain on Friday.

Bur the showers should end Friday evening, and the sun should make an appearance Saturday, forecasters say.

Metro Atlanta and counties to the south are still under a flood watch, and about 2 inches of rain may fall in the area by Friday night.

Meanwhile, Rabun County in the northeast corner of the state is under a winter storm watch for a wintry mix of precipitation.

The flood watch through Friday evening south of a line from Cedartown to Cumming to Homer, the National Weather Service said.

"Widespread flooding is not expected, but the creeks and rivers more vulnerable to flooding will likely experience some short-term rises to near or above flood stage," the Weather Service said early Thursday.

The rain will be accompanied by strong winds, prompting a wind advisory for areas of the state north of a line from Americus to Macon to Lexington, where gusts to 35 mph are possible.

A winter storm watch is in effect through Friday night in the northeast corner of Georgia and adjacent areas of the Carolinas. The Atlanta area will not get cold enough to see any ice or snow, forecaster Mike Leary said Thursday night.

The high Friday should reach 50 degrees, Leary said. The chance of rain is 30 percent Friday night, when lows will be in the upper 30s.

Partly to mostly sunny skies are forecast for Saturday and Sunday, although there is a 20 percent chance of rain Saturday night. Weekend highs should be around 50 degrees, with overnight lows in the low 30s.