COVINGTON, Ga. — Newton County could see sleet or snow in the last week of the year.

Cold weather is a given.

Temperatures reached into the low 50s early Tuesday afternoon and are not expected to go any higher until after New Year’s Day at the earliest. Most days in the next week will have highs in the 30s or 40s.

The National Weather Service said the Covington area could see a chance of rain and sleet mainly between 5 and 9 a.m. Wednesday, but highs should stay just above freezing. Little or no accumulation is expected.

Highs Wednesday should be in the upper 40s.

The next chance of winter precipitation is in the forecast for Thursday afternoon, when the high temperature is in the mid-30s. Newton County could experience wind gusts as high as 15 mph.

Expect clearing conditions through Saturday, then a 20 percent chance of rain New Year’s Eve. Forecast highs are in the upper 40s Saturday and upper 30s Sunday.

The forecast calls for a slight chance of rain and snow Sunday night into Monday. The low Sunday night is expected to dip into the mid-20s.

If there’s any relief, it’s for University of Georgia football fans heading west to see the Bulldogs play in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. The forecast for Monday in Pasadena, California, calls for mostly sunny conditions with a high in the low 70s.