Rain is coming to the Chattanooga area this Thanksgiving weekend.
Most of Thanksgiving Day will be dry and "unseasonably mild," according to the National Weather Service. Forecasts predict high temperatures in the mid-60s, slightly warmer than normal for Nov. 24.
(READ MORE: Drought conditions confirmed in Southeast Tennessee; some rain expected this week)
"That'll be much warmer than what we've seen this past week or two," meteorologist Jeanie McDermott with the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tennessee, said in a phone interview Wednesday.
Thursday morning should be sunny, with clouds coming in the afternoon, according to a forecast from Local 3 News.
The first wave of rain is expected to start Thursday night and continue into Friday, McDermott said. The rain is set to come in on a cold front, lowering temperatures slightly going into the weekend.
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Over the weekend, residents can expect a second wave of precipitation starting sometime Saturday.
"It looks like the best chance for rain is going to be Saturday into Saturday night," McDermott said.
The rain should finish Sunday, according to Local 3 News, though weather service forecasts indicate there may be a third wave of rain coming through East Tennessee midway through next week. Around 1 to 2 inches are expected to fall across the area, Local 3 meteorologist Alison Pryor forecasted.
The expected precipitation comes as many areas of Southeast Tennessee are suffering from moderate or severe drought, according to a recent report from the U.S. Drought Monitor. As of Wednesday, the monitor showed moderate drought conditions in Hamilton County and most of the surrounding counties, with parts of McMinn, Polk, Monroe and Blount counties classified as severe.
There is nothing abnormal in the forecast for the coming week, McDermott said.
Contact Ellen Gerst at egerst@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6319. Follow her on Twitter @ellengerst.