GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch Tuesday morning for the Upstate and western mountains as heavy rain was forecast for the area on Tuesday night.

The watch, which runs from noon Tuesday until late Tuesday night, includes all of the Upstate and northeast Georgia, as well as Graham, Swain, Macon, Jackson, Haywood, Buncombe, Transylvania, Henderson, Madison, Polk and Rutherford counties in western North Carolina.

FOX Carolina meteorologist Andy Wood said that a large, slow-moving storm system is moving in from the south. He said that the heaviest of the rain is expected to fall from Tuesday afternoon into late Tuesday night.

Forecasters said that most areas in the watch will pick up between 1½ and 2½ inches of rain by early Wednesday. They said some isolated areas could see as much as 3 inches.

Wood said that the heavy rain will lead to lots of runoff, which could cause a quick rise in water levels in creeks, streams and low-lying areas.

Residents who live in the watch area were asked to monitor water levels closely as the rain falls. If a rise in water is noticed, residents should be prepared to evacuate to higher ground, officials said.

Wood said that the rain should end by early Wednesday, with sunshine and temperatures in the 70s returning to the western Carolinas. He said the next chance for rain arrives on Saturday.