Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 5, NWS Atlanta, GA

March 13, 1986Barrow County, Jackson County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 13, 1986, 8:49 AM EST for Barrow County, Jackson County, Georgia. It was in force for 56 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Mar 13, 1986, 8:49 AM EST (13:49 UTC)
Expired
Mar 13, 1986, 9:45 AM EST
In force
56 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Barrow County, GA, Jackson County, GA

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 13, 8:55 AM ESTThunderstorm Wind 0Barrow, GA
Mar 13, 9:10 AM ESTThunderstorm Wind 0Jackson, GA

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 12:00Z, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 34 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Athens Municipal, GA at 12:00Z on 1986-03-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 391 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Athens Municipal, GA at 12:00Z on 1986-03-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 373 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
391 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-23 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
464 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
70 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
373 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
371 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
3.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KAHN 131355 RRA
SVRAHN
GAC013-157-131445-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
849 AM EST THU MAR 13 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 945 AM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES OF

NORTHEAST GEORGIA...BARROW AND JACKSON

A SEVERE THUNDERSTOM IS MOVING THROUGH WESTERN PART OF
WALTON COUNTY TOWARD BARROW AND JACKSON COUNTIES OF
GEORGIA

 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS DEFINED AS HAVING WINDS AT LEAST 58 MPH
 AND/OR HAIL 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER OR LARGER. IF THREATENING
 WEATHER APPROACHES...TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS.
 THIS STORM IS ACCOMPANIED BY FREQUENT LIGHNING AND STRONG GUSTY

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 13, 6:25 AM EST, 2 hours 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
620 AM EST THU MAR 13 1986

RADAR AT 620 AM INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSHOWERS ALONG WITH A FEW
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST GEORGIA.  THE LINE EXTENDED
FROM NEAR LAGRANGE TO THE NORTH TO NEAR DOUGLASVILLE AND THEN FARTHER
TO NEAR CARTERSVILLE.  THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS ABOUT 15
MILES NORTH OF NEWNAN.

INDIVIDUAL STORMS IN THIS LINE WERE MOVING TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST
AT 40 MILES AN HOUR WHILE THE LINE WAS MOVING EAST AT 20 MILES AN
HOUR.

THE STORMS WILL BE MOVING ACROSS THE ATLANTA METROPOLITAN AREA
DURING THE NEXT TWO OR THREE HOURS.  RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT A
BRIEF PERIOD OF VERY HEAVY RAIN..GUSTY WINDS..8AND CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING.
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 7:15 AM EST, 1 hour 34 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
 7AM THU MARCH 13 1986

 AT 7 AM THERE WAS A VERY HEAVY LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH
WEST GEORGIA. PORTIONS OF THIS LINE WILL BE MOVING INTO NORTHEAST
GEORGIA WITHIN THE NEXT 1 TO 2 HOURS..

ALL PERSONS SHOULD LISTEN CLOSELY TO NOAA RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS
IN CASE WARNINGS ARE NEEDED WITH THIS SYSTEM WHEN IT MOVES INTO NORTHEAST
GEORGIA.

AT A MINIMUM HEAVY DhOWNPOURS...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTING... AND GUSTY WINDS
ARE EXPECTED.
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 8:17 AM EST, 32 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
815 AM EST THU MAR 13 1986

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWS A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING
ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA.  THE LINE EXTENDED FROM BLAIRSVILLE TO CUMMING
TO THE EASTERN SUBURBS OF ATLANA TO JUST WEST OF THOMASTON.
THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS ABOUT IN EASTERN DEKALB COUNTY NEAR
LITHONIA.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND VERY HEAAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS.  STREET FLOODINGS IS ALSO OCCURRING IN LOW
LYING AREAS AND WHERE DRAINAGE IS POOR.
INDIVIDUAL STORMS IN THIS LINE WERE MOVING TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST
AT 40 MILES AN HOUR WHILE THE LINE WAS MOVING EAST AT 20 MILES AN
HOUR.

THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING EAST ACROSS LAKE LANIER
AND INTO THE COVINGTON AND BARNESVILLE AREA BY 9 AM.
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 8:17 AM EST, 32 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
8AM THU MARCH 13 1986

 AT 8 AM THERE WERE HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD NORTHEAST GEORGIA.
THESE STORMS WILL BE ENTERING NORTHEAST GEORGIA WITHIN THE HOUR
AND PERSON IN NEWTON WALTON AND BARROW COUNTIES SHOULD HAVE SPOTTERS
OUT AT THIS TIME.

ALL PERSONS SHOULD LISTEN CLOSELY TO NOAA RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS
IN CASE WARNINGS ARE NEEDED WITH THIS SYSTEM WHEN IT MOVES INTO NORTHEAST
GEORGIA.

AT A MINIMUM HEAVY DOWNPOURS...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTING... AND GUSTY WINDS
ARE EXPECTED.
Local storm report, Mar 13, 8:38 AM EST, 11 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
835 AM EST THU MAR 12 1986

ROCKDALE COUNTY SHERRIFFS OFFICE RELAYED REPORT FROM PUBLIC OF 3 TREES
UPROOTED IN BACKYARD OF HOME IN SOUTH ROCKDALE COUNTY.  OCCURRED ABOUT
815 AM EST.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 13, 8:37 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCWalton68 min
Mar 13, 9:34 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMorgan26 min
Mar 13, 12:03 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCrawford, Monroe57 min
Mar 13, 3:11 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCTreutlen64 min
Mar 13, 4:03 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDodge57 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 1986Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1986

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.