Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 1996

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Atlanta, GA

March 6, 1996Marion County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this tornado warning at Mar 6, 1996, 8:06 AM EST for Marion County, Georgia. It was in force for 39 min. 1 report 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 6, 1996, 8:06 AM EST (13:06 UTC)
Expired
Mar 6, 1996, 8:45 AM EST
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

County Marion County, GA

The radar

The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 112 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:08 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 6, 8:06 AM ESTThunderstorm WindOakland, 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Tallahassee Rgnl, FL (KTLH), launched 12:00Z, 1.1 hours before the alert went out and 218 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, Tallahassee Rgnl, FL at 12:00Z on 1996-03-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 243 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, Tallahassee Rgnl, FL at 12:00Z on 1996-03-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 192 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
243 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-126 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
503 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
192 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
307 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KATL 061306
TORATL
GAC197-061345-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
806 AM EST WED MAR 6 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  845 AM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA
 
   ...NORTHERN MARION COUNTY
 
AT 805 AM EST WEATHER RADARS INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 10 MILES NORTH
OF BUENA VISTA MOVING EAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 6, 3:53 AM EST, 4 hours 13 minutes before
GAZ042-060955-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
353 AM EST WED MAR 6 1996

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO GEORGIA...

AT 350 AM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS INDICATED A VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO CARROLL COUNTY GEORGIA MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40
MILES AN HOUR.

THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN WITH DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND
STRONG GUSTY WINDS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE
LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Mar 6, 3:54 AM EST, 4 hours 12 minutes before
GAZ042-060955-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
353 AM EST WED MAR 6 1996

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO GEORGIA...

AT 350 AM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS INDICATED A VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO CARROLL COUNTY GEORGIA MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40
MILES AN HOUR.

THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN WITH DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND
STRONG GUSTY WINDS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE
LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Mar 6, 6:30 AM EST, 1 hour 36 minutes before
GAZ005>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086-
091>098-103>113-061630-

NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
630 AM EST WED MAR 6 1996

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL
GEORGIA TODAY.

A STRONG COLD FRONT WAS APPROACHING THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY
EARLY THIS MORNING. AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...WARM MOIST AIR HAD
BECOME THE RULE OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S..  SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPED IN THE MOIST WARM AIR AND MOVED ACROSS ALABAMA INTO
GEORGIA DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS.  SOME OF THE STORMS PRODUCED
SEVERE WEATHER OVER PORTIONS OF ALABAMA DURING THE NIGHT.

AS THE COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE EASTWARD TODAY...THUNDERSTORMS
COULD ONCE AGAIN INTENSIFY AND MOVE INTO PORTIONS OF NORTH AND
CENTRAL GEORGIA. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...LARGE HAIL...HEAVY DOWNPOURS...AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES.

SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN NORTH AND CENTRAL
GEORGIA SHOULD MONITOR LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY FOR
POSSIBLE ACTIVATION LATER TODAY.
Special weather statement, Mar 6, 6:31 AM EST, 1 hour 35 minutes before
GAZ005>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086-
091>098-103>113-061630-

NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
630 AM EST WED MAR 6 1996

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL
GEORGIA TODAY.

A STRONG COLD FRONT WAS APPROACHING THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY
EARLY THIS MORNING. AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...WARM MOIST AIR HAD
BECOME THE RULE OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S..  SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPED IN THE MOIST WARM AIR AND MOVED ACROSS ALABAMA INTO
GEORGIA DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS.  SOME OF THE STORMS PRODUCED
SEVERE WEATHER OVER PORTIONS OF ALABAMA DURING THE NIGHT.

AS THE COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE EASTWARD TODAY...THUNDERSTORMS
COULD ONCE AGAIN INTENSIFY AND MOVE INTO PORTIONS OF NORTH AND
CENTRAL GEORGIA. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...LARGE HAIL...HEAVY DOWNPOURS...AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES.

SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN NORTH AND CENTRAL
GEORGIA SHOULD MONITOR LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY FOR
POSSIBLE ACTIVATION LATER TODAY.
Special weather statement, Mar 6, 6:57 AM EST, 1 hour 9 minutes before
GAZ031-032-033-061400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
657 AM EST WED MAR 6 1996

AT 655 AM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN
PAULDING...COBB AND NORTHERN FULTON COUNTIES. THESE STORMS MAY
CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE
LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Mar 6, 6:58 AM EST, 1 hour 8 minutes before
GAZ031-032-033-061400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
657 AM EST WED MAR 6 1996

AT 655 AM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN
PAULDING...COBB AND NORTHERN FULTON COUNTIES. THESE STORMS MAY
CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE
LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 6, 7:30 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHarris30 min
Mar 6, 7:56 AM ESTTornado WarningFFCMeriwether, Talbot34 min
Mar 6, 8:00 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMarion45 min
Mar 6, 8:15 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCSchley, Taylor45 min
Mar 6, 8:26 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMacon, Sumter, Webster49 min
Mar 6, 8:44 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCCobb, Fulton4 hr
Mar 6, 8:44 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningFFCDeKalb, Gwinnett4 hr
Mar 6, 8:47 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCrawford, Peach43 min
Mar 6, 9:00 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDooly, Houston45 min
Mar 6, 9:22 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCClayton, Fulton53 min
Mar 6, 9:29 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBleckley, Dodge, Pulaski, Twiggs46 min
Mar 6, 10:20 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMeriwether, Troup40 min
Mar 6, 11:13 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBleckley, Houston, Pulaski47 min
Mar 6, 11:36 AM ESTTornado WarningFFCBleckley, Dodge, Pulaski54 min
Mar 6, 11:49 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCLaurens26 min
Mar 6, 12:06 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCLaurens54 min
Mar 6, 12:13 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCEmanuel, Johnson, Treutlen47 min
Mar 6, 12:35 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCrisp, Wilcox25 min
Mar 6, 12:45 PM ESTTornado WarningFFCWilcox30 min
Mar 6, 1:02 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDodge, Telfair43 min
Mar 6, 1:39 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMarion, Talbot, Taylor51 min
Mar 6, 6:45 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCherokee, Forsyth45 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Georgia, 1996Every tornado warning in 1996Tornadoes in 1996

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.