Any plans you have for New Years Day celebrations tonight better include keeping an eye on the forecast, as the National Weather Service expects thunderstorms to start moving into the area this evening.

Following what has been one of the warmest starts to a New Year on record (a high of 77 was what NWS had called for today,) stormy weather ahead of a cold front that contains wintry weather behind it is moving toward Northwest Georgia tonight.

Per an updated Hazardous Weather outlook, the forecasters in Peachtree City are expecting strong thunderstorms containing heavy rain, gusty and potentially damaging winds, and a possibility of isolated tornadoes breaking out within this front.

Weather.com radar (see above) on a national level shows a line of storms already impacting West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, portions of middle and western Tennessee, and stretching across Arkansas at the current time. Pop-up showers have already begun showing up over parts of Mississippi, Alabama and close by here in Northwest Georgia.

Warm air from this latest round of unseasonable weather is drawing up moisture from the gulf ahead of the front as it impacts with cold air behind the front, which is causing snowfall in the Midwest and Great Plains.

Behind the front, the NWS predicts a big drop in the temperature after more stormy weather on Sunday impacts the area again, as the cold front brings with it an artic mass behind. Sunday night lows are set to be down to 29 degrees, and a Monday high for the opening week of 2022 is starting off at 47 and back to what is expected of early winter in January in Polk County.

The forecast calls for chilly temps to persist through Thursday, but look for rain and a potential for a thunderstorm on Thursday and showers overnight, with cold again to follow.

Check back for more weather updates through the evening as alerts, watches or warnings are posted.