Wet fall and winter expected in Chattanooga area

Friday, January 1, 1904

photo Lloyd McCoy braves the rain to make his daily walk past a boarded-up building off Main Street in Chattanooga early Monday morning.

Chattanooga's forecast temperatures

• Tuesday: High 73, Low 55• Wednesday: High 77, Low 50• Thursday: High 82, Low 51• Friday: High 82, Low 56• Saturday: High 71, Low 50• Sunday: High 69, Low 48Source: Paul Barys, WRCB Channel 3 meteorologist

Get used to seeing more rainy days.

Wetter weather is expected to continue into fall and winter months in the Chattanooga area, according to meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tenn., and Peachtree City, Ga.

In Tennessee, precipitation and temperatures are expected to be slightly above average through December, according to Tod Hyslop, meteorologist in the weather service's Morristown office.

On Monday, the Chattanooga area received about 21/2 inches of rain by 2 p.m., and it's expected to continue through this morning. Hyslop said a strong low pressure system had been hovering over the city since Sunday evening, causing the steady rainfall.

"If you were flying in a jet today, you wouldn't see any breaks," he said. "It would just be a total block of fog."

After a slight drought during the early part of 2012, rainfall in the Chattanooga area has increased over the past several months. Since June, Chattanooga has received about 20 inches of rain, with about one-third coming in September, Hyslop said.

For Georgia residents, meteorologists have a slightly different prediction for the coming months.

Senior Meteorologist Dan Darbe at the weather service office in Peachtree City said an El Nino system will "set up" over Georgia, causing both wetter weather and cooler-than-normal temperatures for the state.

Georgia also has had a recent increase in rainfall. In the past 90 days, areas of North Georgia have had 10 to 17 inches of rain, according to Kent Franz, service hydrologist in Peachtree City, and the area received about 1 to 2 inches Monday.

In Catoosa County, the bridge between Heritage Middle School and Heritage High School was closed Monday and may be closed today because of high water, school personnel said.

Tri-state area residents should not expect the forecasted wetter weather to begin this week, according to WRCB Channel 3 Meteorologist Paul Barys.

"After tomorrow morning, it should be dry for the rest of the week," he said Monday.

Contact staff writer Rachel Bunn at rbunn@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592.