Polk County, as much of the northwest Georgia area, is predicted to be both dry and cool Monday and Tuesday.

The National Weather Service has issued both a freeze watch and a fire watch.

The freeze watch remains in effect from late tonight through Tuesday morning. Polk, Paulding, Bartow, Haralson and Floyd counties are within the affected area.

According to the NWS, a deep upper low moving southward from the Ohio Valley will be accompanied by a Canadian surface high. This will bring unseasonably cold air to our region during the next couple of days.

High temperatures today will only be in the 40s in the northwest Georgia area, the NWS predicts. Lows by Tuesday morning are likely to drop into the 30s across the region.

While surface winds and clouds may prevent a hard freeze or frost occurring over the next couple of days, the forecast allows for the possibility of some areas within the freeze watch area to drop as low as 30 degrees early Tuesday.

So, ornamental plants should be moved indoors if possible and other appropriate steps should be taken to protect plants susceptible to cold weather.

FIRE WATCH

A fire weather watch remains in effect for Polk and adjacent counties through Tuesday evening due to low relative humidities.

This watch includes much of the Chattahoochee and all fo the Oconee National Forest.

The NWS believes that dry fuel moisture conditions will combine with relative humidities of 25 percent or less, along with northwest to northerly winds of 10 to 15 mph, to create dangerous fire weather conditions.

A fire weather watch means that there is high potential for the development of critical fire weather conditions in 12 to 72 hours. Listen for later forecasts and possible Red Flag warnings.