The potential for severe weather this weekend -- Saturday night into Sunday Morning -- is increasing.
NEW Friday Afternoon:
The Storm Prediction Center has outlined western Georgia -- including Bartow, Paulding, Cobb, Douglas, Carroll, Coweta, and portions of Fulton and Fayette counties -- in a *MODERATE RISK* for severe storms, or Level 4 out of 5.
Eastern Metro Atlanta remains in an *ENHANCED RISK* for severe storms, or a Level 3 out of 5 regarding the Severe Weather Convective Outlook.
The Storm Prediction Center notes that Metro Atlanta -- and much of the state of Georgia -- has a 30 to 44 percent chance of experiencing a severe storm within 25 miles of a given point.
The area with a black hatch has the potential to experience significant wind gusts 74 mph or greater.
In addition, the threat for tornadoes has increased for western Georgia, including Metro Atlanta along I-75, I-20, and I-85 on the southside.
NOW is the time to prepare for damaging winds, large hail, and potential numerous tornadoes.
Timeline: Late Saturday Night to Early Sunday Morning (Overnight Hours)
The timeline will be finessed throughout the day today and again tomorrow, but the window for severe storms is between 10pm Saturday and 6am Sunday morning.
The animation below illustrates the High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) Futurecast radar for Saturday night into Sunday morning. This is the high resolution data that helps meteorologists fine-tune the forecast for this weekend.
Potential Impacts
These severe storms will be capable of the following:
- Wind gusts 70+ mph (strong enough to knock down trees and powerlines and and cause widespread wind damage)
- Large hail (diameter 1 inch or greater)
- Tornadoes are likely, some may be rather strong and capable of producing considerable damage
Continue to monitor the weather forecasts heading into the weekend, and have cellphones and tablets charged before Saturday night.