Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Atlanta, GA

February 28, 20114 counties in Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this tornado warning at Feb 28, 2011, 4:56 PM EST for 4 counties in Georgia. It was in force for 35 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Feb 28, 2011, 4:56 PM EST (21:56 UTC)
Expired: Feb 28, 2011, 5:31 PM EST
In force: 35 min
Issued by: NWS Atlanta, GA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Cherokee County, GA, Cobb County, GA, Forsyth County, GA, Fulton County, GA

The radar

The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 84 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:59 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Feb 28, 5:15 PM EST	HAIL 1.25	Roswell, GA	SPOTTER REPORTED 1.25 INCH DIAMETER HAIL IN ROSWELL.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Feb 28, 1:29 PM EST	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 81 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1162 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 50 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 229 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 350 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.

028 
WFUS52 KFFC 282156
TORFFC
GAC057-067-117-121-282245-
/O.NEW.KFFC.TO.W.0002.110228T2156Z-110228T2245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
456 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL CHEROKEE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA
  NORTHEASTERN COBB COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA
  SOUTHWESTERN FORSYTH COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA
  NORTHEASTERN FULTON COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA

* UNTIL 545 PM EST

* AT 454 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR
  WOODSTOCK...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  MOUNTAIN PARK...ROSWELL...MILTON...ALPHARETTA AND JOHNS CREEK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW! IF YOU WAIT
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT WILL BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE
PLACE.

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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EST MONDAY EVENING FOR
NORTHERN GEORGIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3417 8397 3415 8397 3415 8399 3418 8406
      3409 8412 3405 8412 3403 8416 3400 8419
      3400 8423 3398 8426 3404 8457 3421 8448
TIME...MOT...LOC 2156Z 276DEG 27KT 3410 8453

$$

16

2 follow-up statements

221 
WWUS52 KFFC 282217
SVSFFC

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
517 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011

GAC057-282225-
/O.CAN.KFFC.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-110228T2245Z/
CHEROKEE GA-
517 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY HAS BEEN 
CANCELLED...

THE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO HAS MOVED SOUTHEAST 
INTO NORTH FULTON COUNTY.  MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AND OCCASIONAL 
CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING WILL CONTINUE FOR ANOTHER HOUR ACROSS THE 
SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY.

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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EST MONDAY EVENING FOR
NORTHERN GEORGIA.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EST
MONDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN GEORGIA.

LAT...LON 3417 8407 3404 8415 3400 8419 3400 8423
      3398 8426 3404 8457 3409 8454 3408 8442
      3411 8442 3413 8437 3418 8436 3419 8434
      3419 8422
TIME...MOT...LOC 2215Z 276DEG 27KT 3408 8436

$$

GAC067-117-121-282245-
/O.CON.KFFC.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-110228T2245Z/
COBB GA-FORSYTH GA-FULTON GA-
517 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM EST FOR
NORTHEASTERN FULTON...SOUTHWESTERN FORSYTH AND NORTHEASTERN COBB
COUNTIES...

AT 513 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A POSSIBLE TORNADO LOCATED NEAR MOUNTAIN PARK...MOVING EAST 
AT 30 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
BIRMINGHAM...MILTON...ALPHARETTA...BROOKWOOD AND JOHNS CREEK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EST MONDAY EVENING FOR
NORTHERN GEORGIA.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EST
MONDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN GEORGIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3417 8407 3404 8415 3400 8419 3400 8423
      3398 8426 3404 8457 3409 8454 3408 8442
      3411 8442 3413 8437 3418 8436 3419 8434
      3419 8422
TIME...MOT...LOC 2215Z 276DEG 27KT 3408 8436

$$



19

006 
WWUS52 KFFC 282231
SVSFFC

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
531 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011

GAC067-117-121-282239-
/O.CAN.KFFC.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-110228T2245Z/
COBB GA-FORSYTH GA-FULTON GA-
531 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN FULTON...SOUTHWESTERN FORSYTH
AND NORTHEASTERN COBB COUNTIES HAS BEEN CANCELLED...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS EASTERN COBB...SOUTHERN 
FORSYTH...AND NORTHERN FULTON. HOWEVER...THE STRONG ROTATION EARLIER 
INDICATED IN THIS AREA THAT PROMPTED THE TORNADO WARNING HAS 
WEAKENED AND THE STRONGEST PORTION OF THESE STORMS HAS NOW MOVED 
INTO GWINNETT.

BE AWARE THAT MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND 
LIGHTNING WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THESE AREAS...BUT THIS ACTIVITY IS NO 
LONGER INDICATED AS BEING 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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EST MONDAY EVENING FOR
NORTHERN GEORGIA.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EST
MONDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN GEORGIA.

LAT...LON 3417 8407 3404 8415 3400 8419 3400 8423
      3398 8426 3404 8457 3409 8454 3408 8442
      3411 8442 3413 8437 3418 8436 3419 8434
      3419 8422
TIME...MOT...LOC 2229Z 276DEG 27KT 3407 8423

$$



19

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 28, 4:04 AM EST	Wind Advisory	FFC	Baldwin, Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Bleckley and 90 more	15 hr
Feb 28, 2:25 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Catoosa, Dade, Walker	50 min
Feb 28, 2:45 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Murray, Whitfield	45 min
Feb 28, 3:08 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Walker	37 min
Feb 28, 3:13 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Fannin, Gilmer	32 min
Feb 28, 3:29 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Towns, Union	31 min
Feb 28, 3:42 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Bartow, Chattooga, Floyd, Gordon	48 min
Feb 28, 3:50 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Bartow, Floyd, Polk	25 min
Feb 28, 4:09 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Bartow, Cherokee, Pickens	51 min
Feb 28, 4:17 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Bartow, Floyd	13 min
Feb 28, 4:32 PM EST	Tornado Warning	FFC	Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Paulding	28 min
Feb 28, 4:40 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Dawson, Forsyth, Hall	50 min
Feb 28, 5:04 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Carroll, Haralson, Paulding, Polk	41 min
Feb 28, 5:16 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Gwinnett, Hall, Jackson and 3 more	44 min
Feb 28, 5:49 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Carroll, Cobb, Douglas, Fulton, Paulding	41 min
Feb 28, 5:55 PM EST	Tornado Warning	FFC	Douglas, Fulton	35 min
Feb 28, 6:12 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Clayton, DeKalb, Henry, Newton, Rockdale	33 min
Feb 28, 6:36 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Meriwether, Troup	39 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Georgia, 2011 Every tornado warning in 2011 Tornadoes in 2011

Sources

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