Alert archive / Georgia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 538, NWS Atlanta, GA

August 2, 2008Twiggs County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 2, 2008, 9:31 PM EDT for Twiggs County, Georgia. It was in force for 44 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Aug 2, 2008, 9:31 PM EDT (01:31 UTC)
Expired: Aug 2, 2008, 10:15 PM EDT
In force: 44 min
Issued by: NWS Atlanta, GA
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Twiggs County, GA

The radar

The Robins AFB radar (KJGX), 14 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:33 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.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 9 minutes after it went out.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 122 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 202 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1645 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 7 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 28 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 36 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS52 KFFC 030131
SVRFFC
GAC289-030215-
/O.NEW.KFFC.SV.W.0538.080803T0131Z-080803T0215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
931 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  TWIGGS COUNTY IN CENTRAL GEORGIA

* UNTIL 1015 PM EDT

* AT 929 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZED
  HAIL...AND DESTRUCTIVE WINDS UP TO 70 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE
  LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 13 MILES NORTH OF
  JEFFERSONVILLE TO 15 MILES WEST OF JEFFERSONVILLE...MOVING
  SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  HUBER...FITZPATRICK...MYRICKS MILL...BULLARD...TARVERSVILLE AND
  DANVILLE.

IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS
IMMEDIATELY LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES NUMBER ONE KILLERS.
REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

IF YOU SEE WIND DAMAGE...LARGE HAIL OR SIGNIFICANT FLOODING...WAIT
UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED...AND THEN CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE TOLL FREE AT 1 8 6 6 7 6 3 4 4 6 6.

LAT...LON 3255 8354 3259 8353 3265 8356 3265 8358
      3268 8360 3272 8359 3281 8348 3284 8351
      3289 8340 3258 8323 3246 8347
TIME...MOT...LOC 0131Z 327DEG 34KT 3285 8338 3274 8357

$$

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS52 KFFC 030212
SVSFFC

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
1011 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008

GAC289-030221-
/O.EXP.KFFC.SV.W.0538.000000T0000Z-080803T0215Z/
TWIGGS GA-
1011 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR TWIGGS COUNTY EXPIRES AT 1015
PM EDT...

AT 1007 PM EDT...THE THUNDERSTORM THAT EARLIER PROMPTED THE WARNING 
FOR TWIGGS COUNTY HAS WEAKENED AND NO LONGER IS DETECTED TO BE 
SEVERE.

IF YOU SEE WIND DAMAGE...LARGE HAIL OR SIGNIFICANT FLOODING...WAIT 
UNTIL AFTER THE STORM HAS PASSED...AND THEN CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE TOLL FREE AT 1 8 6 6 7 6 3 4 4 6 6.

LAT...LON 3255 8354 3259 8353 3265 8356 3265 8358
      3268 8360 3272 8359 3281 8348 3284 8351
      3289 8340 3258 8323 3246 8347
TIME...MOT...LOC 0211Z 327DEG 34KT 3253 8314 3242 8333

$$


19

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.

NWS Atlanta, GA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 2, 9:01 PM EDT, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 2, 9:01 PM EDT, 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
901 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008

.UPDATE...
EVENING CONVECTION WINDING DOWN ACROSS THE AREA. HAVE REMOVED ALL
COUNTIES FROM THE WATCH AS SEVERE CHANCES HAVE GREATLY DIMINISHED.
COULD STILL SEE ISOLATE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA SOUTH OF ATLANTA
AND ATHENS INTO CENTRAL GEORGIA AND HAVE ADJUSTED POPS
ACCORDINGLY. FORECAST LOWS LOOK ON TRACK...AND HAVE ONLY ADJUSTED
THE HOURLY TEMPS BASED ON CURRENT TRENDS. UPDATED FORECASTS WILL
BE OUT SHORTLY.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 342 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008/

SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/...
SHORT TERM MODELS ARE IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT THIS MODEL RUN. THE
UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE LOCATED OVER NEW YORK SLOWLY ROTATES ACROSS
NEW ENGLAND THROUGH MONDAY ALLOWING THE UPPER RIDGE OVER THE
CENTRAL PLAINS TO BUILD EASTWARD. WEAK IMPULSES MOVING THROUGH THE
UPPER FLOW...AS WELL AS A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH SLOWLY SINKING
SOUTHWARD WILL AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING
THUNDERSTORMS. COVERAGE OF CONVECTION WILL BE ISOLATED AT BEST.
LOW LEVEL THICKNESS VALUES AND H85 TEMPERATURES ARE INDICATING
THAT AFTERNOON HIGHS WILL REMAIN IN THE 90S. WITH GOOD GULF
MOISTURE AVAILABLE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA...HEAT INDICES WILL
CLIMB INTO THE UPPER 90S NORTH TO NEAR 102 ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA
TOMORROW AND MONDAY.

LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
THE UPPER RIDGE PREVAILS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST UNTIL FRIDAY WHEN
THE NEXT LOW MOVES ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES AREA. A WEAK SURFACE
BOUNDARY WILL AGAIN TRAVERSE THE AREA LATE IN THE WEEK PROVIDING A
FOCUS FOR SCATTERED CONVECTION. OTHERWISE MAINLY ISOLATED
AFTERNOON AND EVENING CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE. TEMPERATURES WILL
REMAIN IN THE MID 90S EARLY IN THE EXTENDED PERIODS WITH HEAT
INDICES AT OR ABOVE 100.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
ATHENS          71  97  71  95  70 /  10  20   5  20  10
ATLANTA         74  93  73  95  74 /  10  20  10  20  10
BLAIRSVILLE     66  91  62  92  64 /  10  20   5  20  10
CARTERSVILLE    69  95  66  95  68 /  10  20   5  20  10
COLUMBUS        75  96  77  96  75 /  20  20  20  20  10
GAINESVILLE     73  92  71  94  72 /  10  20   5  20  10
MACON           74  97  73  95  74 /  20  20  20  20  10
ROME            69  96  69  98  68 /  10  20   5  20  10
PEACHTREE CITY  70  94  69  94  70 /  10  20  10  20  10
VIDALIA         73  95  73  95  73 /  20  20  20  20  10

&&

.FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

12

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 2, 6:22 AM EDT, 15 hours 9 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
622 AM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008

GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086-
089>098-102>113-031030-
BALDWIN-BANKS-BARROW-BARTOW-BIBB-BLECKLEY-BUTTS-CARROLL-CATOOSA-
CHATTAHOOCHEE-CHATTOOGA-CHEROKEE-CLARKE-CLAYTON-COBB-COWETA-
CRAWFORD-CRISP-DADE-DAWSON-DEKALB-DODGE-DOOLY-DOUGLAS-EMANUEL-
FANNIN-FAYETTE-FLOYD-FORSYTH-GILMER-GLASCOCK-GORDON-GREENE-
GWINNETT-HALL-HANCOCK-HARALSON-HARRIS-HEARD-HENRY-HOUSTON-JACKSON-
JASPER-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-JONES-LAMAR-LAURENS-LUMPKIN-MACON-
MADISON-MARION-MERIWETHER-MONROE-MONTGOMERY-MORGAN-MURRAY-
MUSCOGEE-NEWTON-NORTH FULTON-OCONEE-OGLETHORPE-PAULDING-PEACH-
PICKENS-PIKE-POLK-PULASKI-PUTNAM-ROCKDALE-SCHLEY-SOUTH FULTON-
SPALDING-STEWART-SUMTER-TALBOT-TALIAFERRO-TAYLOR-TELFAIR-TOOMBS-
TOWNS-TREUTLEN-TROUP-TWIGGS-UNION-UPSON-WALKER-WALTON-WARREN-
WASHINGTON-WEBSTER-WHEELER-WHITE-WHITFIELD-WILCOX-WILKES-
WILKINSON-
622 AM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

.SYNOPSIS...
A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH WILL REMAIN ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA TODAY
WITH A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS OVER THE STATE.

.PRIMARY HAZARDS...
THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WILL BE FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND
ALSO THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WIND GUSTS.

.DISCUSSION...
AN UPPER AIR DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE FROM THE OHIO VALLEY REGION
SOUTHWARD INTO GEORGIA TODAY. WITH A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN
PLACE...WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP MAINLY THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE
WITH LIFTED INDEX VALUES RANGING FROM MINUS TWO TO MINUS
FOUR...AND CAPES RANGING FROM 1500 TO 2000. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS
ALSO POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY CENTRAL GEORGIA SUNDAY
AND MONDAY...THEN THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS NORTH AND
CENTRAL SECTIONS WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTERS ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED BUT SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED
TO SUBMIT REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH THE WEB BY GOING TO
WEATHER.GOV/ATLANTA.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 2, 9:16 PM EDT, 15 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
916 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008

GAZ069-079>081-030145-
916 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR FREQUENT LIGHTNING IN TAYLOR...
CRAWFORD...TALBOT AND UPSON COUNTIES UNTIL 945 PM EDT...

AT 912 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE INDICATED
COUNTIES...ONE NEAR TALBOTTON...ANOTHER JUST SOUTH OF
THOMASTON...ANOTHER NORTH OF BUTLER...AND ANOTHER NORTH OF
ROBERTA...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 18 MPH.

LIGHTNING DETECTION SYSTEMS INDICATE NUMEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND
LIGHTNING STRIKES WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. RESIDENTS IN THIS
AREA SHOULD STAY INDOORS. ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND TELEPHONES
SHOULD NOT BE USED UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY.

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERTS ARE ISSUED WHEN WINDS UP TO 57 MPH ARE
EXPECTED...HAIL IS EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN THE SIZE OF PENNIES...OR
SIGNIFICANT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED.

19

Local storm report, Aug 2, 9:17 PM EDT, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
917 PM EDT SAT AUG 02 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0739 PM     TSTM WND GST     3 SW HAPEVILLE          33.63N 84.45W
08/02/2008  M71 MPH          CLAYTON            GA   ASOS

            MEASURED BY ASOS AT HARTSFIELD JACKSON AIRPORT.

&&

SNELSON

Local storm report, Aug 2, 9:18 PM EDT, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
918 PM EDT SAT AUG 02 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0630 PM     TSTM WND DMG     6 SW CANTON             34.19N 84.56W
08/02/2008                   CHEROKEE           GA   PUBLIC

            NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWN AROUND THE NORTHERN END OF LAKE
            ALLATOONA.

&&

MGRIESIN

Special weather statement, Aug 2, 9:22 PM EDT, 9 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
922 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008

GAZ072-083-030145-
922 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR FREQUENT LIGHTNING IN TWIGGS AND
JONES COUNTIES UNTIL 945 PM EDT...

AT 920 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM GRISWOLDVILLE TO 10 MILES WEST OF
HUBER...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

LIGHTNING DETECTION SYSTEMS INDICATE NUMEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND
LIGHTNING STRIKES WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA
SHOULD STAY INDOORS. ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND TELEPHONES SHOULD NOT
BE USED UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY.

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERTS ARE ISSUED WHEN WINDS UP TO 57 MPH ARE
EXPECTED...HAIL IS EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN THE SIZE OF PENNIES...OR
SIGNIFICANT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED.

19

Local storm report, Aug 2, 9:30 PM EDT, 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
930 PM EDT SAT AUG 02 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0653 PM     HAIL             7 ENE MARIETTA          33.99N 84.43W
08/02/2008  E0.75 INCH       COBB               GA   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

SNELSON

Local storm report, Aug 2, 9:31 PM EDT, 0 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
931 PM EDT SAT AUG 02 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0600 PM     HAIL             4 W BLAINE              34.51N 84.63W
08/02/2008  E1.00 INCH       PICKENS            GA   PUBLIC

&&

MGRIESIN

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 2, 8:03 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Newton	29 min
Aug 2, 8:08 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Clayton, Coweta, Fayette, Henry, Spalding	52 min
Aug 2, 8:18 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Wilkes	42 min
Aug 2, 8:29 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Greene, Oglethorpe, Taliaferro	31 min
Aug 2, 9:06 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Bibb	39 min
Aug 2, 9:47 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Talbot, Taylor	58 min
Aug 2, 10:02 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Macon	43 min
Aug 2, 10:10 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Marion, Talbot	50 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 2008 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2008

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.