Special Weather Statement, NWS Atlanta, GA

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
351 AM EDT MON APR 20 2015

.SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH 8AM...

SEVERE WEATHER APPEARS IMMANENT FOR PORTIONS OF NW GEORGIA AS LINE
OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH A HISTORY OF PRODUCING WIND DAMAGE ADVANCES
OUT OF ALABAMA. CAPE VALUES IN THIS REGION HAVE BEEN LARGELY
UNIMPRESSIVE...ESPECIALLY SURFACE BASED CAPE. HOWEVER...ELEVATED
CONVECTION IS MORE READILY AVAILABLE AND CROSS SECTIONS REVEAL
VORTICITY MAXIMA RESPONSIBLE FOR ENHANCED ACTIVITY IS LOW IN THE
ATMOSPHERE THAN WE TYPICALLY SEE...RIGHT AROUND 700 MB IN THIS
SITUATION.

FOLLOWING THE EVOLUTION OF THIS VORT MAX...LOOKS LIKE
THE NORTHERN TIER OF OUR COUNTIES...MAYBE A HALF A DOZEN COUNTIES
OR SO WILL BE UNDER THE THREAT OF SEVERE STORMS THIS MORNING WITH
STRONG WINDS THE PRIMARY CONCERN. CANNOT RULE OUT A TORNADO EITHER
0-1KM HELICITY VALUES CURRENTLY MAXING OUT AT 350 M2/S2 ON LATEST
RAP RUN. ALSO LOOKING AT DOWNDRAFT CAPE AXIS...SHOULD SEE THIS
HOLD TOGETHER OVER THE LOCAL AREA MEANING WINDS SHOULD HAVE NO
PROBLEM MIXING TO THE SURFACE SHOULD STORMS HOLD TOGETHER.

FOR THE REMAINDER OF TODAY...AFOREMENTIONED ACTIVITY SHOULD BEGIN
TO WANE SLIGHTLY AS IT PROGRESSES EAST BUT ENOUGH ACTIVITY WILL
REMAIN TO WARRANT CATEGORICAL TO LIKELY POPS FOR THE NORTHERN
TIER. THEREAFTER...IT WILL DEPEND HOW QUICK LOW CLOUDS CLEAR OUT
AND HOW MUCH RECOVERY WE CAN GET BEFORE FRONT MOVES THROUGH. OF
PARTICULAR INTEREST IS STRONG SHORTWAVE MOVING IN OFF THE GULF
COAST THIS AFTERNOON THAT RESULTS IN DEVELOPMENT OF A STRONG LOW
LEVEL JET AND INFLUX OF DEEP MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY. WILL LIKELY
SEE CAPE VALUES IN EXCESS OF 2500 J/KG SHOULD CLOUDS CLEAR FOR A
LONG ENOUGH TIME FROM GAINESVILLE TO MACON AND POINTS EASTWARD
ALLOWING FOR A SECONDARY SEVERE WEATHER EPISODE. STRONG WINDS WILL
BE THE MAIN CONCERN ONCE AGAIN BUT SIG TO PARAMETER DOES BECOME
ENHANCED AFTER 18Z WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE AGAIN.

FINALLY QUIETER CONDITIONS EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH THE REMAINDER
OF THE SHORT TERM WITH NIL POPS AND COOL OVERNIGHT TEMPS.

DEESE

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/...

THERE CONTINUE TO BE NOTICEABLE INCONSISTENCIES BETWEEN MODELS...AND
EVEN FROM RUN TO RUN WITHIN EACH MODEL...IN THE EXTENDED FORECAST
PERIOD...SO OVERALL A GENERAL BLEND AND CONCENTRATION ON THE LARGER
SCALE FEATURES WERE USED FOR THE LONG TERM FORECAST GRIDS AGAIN THIS
MORNING.

PERIOD STARTS OUT DRY...BUT MOISTURE RETURN BEGINS WEDNESDAY AS THE
SURFACE RIDGE SLIPS EAST OF THE STATE. WEAK SHORT WAVES IN THE
WESTERLY UPPER FLOW AND A WEAK COLD FRONT BRING AT LEAST A SLIGHT
CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION BACK INTO THE NORTH BY LATE WEDNESDAY. AMPLE
MOISTURE AND FLAT WESTERLY UPPER FLOW KEEP AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE
FOR PRECIPITATION IN THE FORECAST THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. BETTER
CHANCES FOR RAIN SWEEP BACK IN FOR THE START OF THE WEEKEND AS A
STRONGER SHORT WAVE SWEEPS THROUGH THE REGION. BOTH THE GFS AND THE
ECMWF ARE GENERATING A DECENT SURFACE LOW WITH THIS SHORT WAVE...
HOWEVER THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE TIMING OF THIS LOW
TO KEEP LOW POPS IN THROUGH THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. ENOUGH
INSTABILITY INDICATED WITH THE MID-WEEK SYSTEM FOR A CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS...ALTHOUGH LACK OF STRONG DYNAMICS AND MARGINAL NATURE
OF THE INSTABILITY POINT TO MINIMAL CHANCES FOR SEVERE WEATHER.
WEEKEND SYSTEM CONTINUES TO SHOW MARGINAL INSTABILITY AT BEST...BUT
STRONGER DYNAMICS INDICATE AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR DEEPER
CONVECTION WITH THIS SYSTEM AS WELL.

20

&&

AVIATION...
06Z UPDATE...
LATEST OBSERVATIONS FROM AROUND THE AREA ALONG WITH SATELLITE
IMAGERY INDICATE THAT IFR CIGS ARE BUILDING IN AT A RAPID PACE
FROM SW TO NE. HAVE INITIALIZED WITH IFR AT ATL AREA TERMINALS AS
WELL AS CSG WITH CONDITIONS TO OVERSPREAD THE REMAINDER OF THE
AREA BY 08Z. EXPECT LINE OF TSRA MOVING INTO NORTHWEST GEORGIA TO
DECREASE IN COVERAGE AND REMAIN NORTH OF THE ATL TERMINALS BUT
THIS WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED CLOSELY. OTHERWISE...SOME
REDEVELOMENT POSSIBLE WITH SOME HEATING THIS AFTERNOON SO
INCLUDED TEMPO FOR TSRA FOR ALL SITES. GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED TODAY
WITH SOME GUIDANCE INDICATING GUSTS AS HIGH AS 25 KTS AT ATL AND
FOLLOWED THIS SOLUTION BASED ON UPSTREAM OBS.

//ATL CONFIDENCE...06Z UPDATE...
MEDIUM ON TSRA CHANCES.
HIGH ON REMAINING ELEMENTS.

DEESE

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
ATHENS          76  50  72  48 /  50  30   0   5
ATLANTA         75  52  72  51 /  40  20   0   5
BLAIRSVILLE     71  44  66  44 /  60  20   5   5
CARTERSVILLE    75  46  71  48 /  60  10   0   5
COLUMBUS        79  53  77  53 /  50  20   0   5
GAINESVILLE     75  50  70  49 /  30  20   0   5
MACON           78  52  76  50 /  60  40   0   5
ROME            73  46  72  47 /  40  10   5   5
PEACHTREE CITY  77  49  73  47 /  40  20   0   5
VIDALIA         84  59  77  55 /  60  30   0   0

&&

.FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 8 AM EDT THIS MORNING FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES: CATOOSA...CHATTOOGA...DADE...FLOYD...GORDON...
WALKER...WHITFIELD.

&&

SHORT TERM...DEESE
LONG TERM....20
AVIATION...DEESE

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
408 AM EDT MON APR 20 2015

GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086-
089>098-102>113-210815-
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-
408 AM EDT MON APR 20 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THIS MORNING FOR NW GEORGIA...
...ADDITIONAL STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON OVER
EASTERN SECTIONS...

AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES NORTHWEST GEORGIA EARLY THIS
MORNING...A SQUALL LINE WILL MOVE INTO FAR NORTHWEST GEORGIA
BRINGING DAMAGING WINDS AND THE THREAT OF AN ISOLATED TORNADO.
THIS LINE IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH IN INTENSITY AS IT MOVES ACROSS
THE REMAINDER OF NORTH GEORGIA.

ANOTHER AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP
THIS AFTERNOON ALONG EAST AND SOUTHEAST SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST
AREA...ROUGHLY FROM A MACON TO GAINESVILLE LINE. AN ADDITIONAL
DAMAGING WIND THREAT IS EXPECTED PRIMARILY BUT ONCE AGAIN CANNOT
RULE OUT AN ISOLATED TORNADO OR LARGE HAIL WITH THIS ACTIVITY.

WITH THE STORMS...OCCASIONALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL PRODUCE
LOCALIZED FLOODING. IN ADDITION...A FEW RIVERS AND CREEKS MAY
BEGIN TO FLOW OUT OF THEIR BANKS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AND
AGAIN SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED AND SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO
SUBMIT REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH THE WEB BY GOING TO
WEATHER.GOV/ATLANTA.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
444 AM EDT MON APR 20 2015

GAZ002>004-011-012-019-200915-
GORDON GA-CATOOSA GA-WHITFIELD GA-CHATTOOGA GA-WALKER GA-FLOYD GA-
444 AM EDT MON APR 20 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR DIME SIZED HAIL AND 45 MPH WINDS
IN GORDON...CATOOSA...WHITFIELD...CHATTOOGA...WALKER AND FLOYD
COUNTIES UNTIL 515 AM EDT...

AT 443 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR FORT
OGLETHORPE TO NEAR TRION TO 8 MILES EAST OF GAYLESVILLE...AND MOVING
EAST AT 50 MPH.

THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DIME SIZED SIZED HAIL...
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH AS THEY
MOVE ACROSS GORDON...CATOOSA...WHITFIELD...CHATTOOGA...WALKER AND
FLOYD COUNTIES THROUGH 515 AM EDT.

SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE
ROME...DALTON...CALHOUN...LAFAYETTE...SUMMERVILLE...RINGGOLD...FORT
OGLETHORPE...TRION...VARNELL...TUNNEL HILL...COHUTTA...RESACA...
PLAINVILLE...LA FAYETTE...SHANNON...LYERLY...NAOMI...BOYNTON...
SUTTLES MILL AND NOBLE.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT. CONTINUE TO MONITOR
NOAA WEATHER RADIO...WEATHER.GOV OR OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS FOR FURTHER
STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS ON THESE STORMS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 AM EDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN GEORGIA.

LAT...LON 3499 8482 3492 8484 3487 8482 3484 8486
      3480 8484 3478 8488 3471 8487 3471 8494
      3466 8489 3466 8490 3468 8494 3461 8490
      3440 8495 3439 8501 3426 8502 3418 8544
      3429 8546 3459 8542 3499 8522
TIME...MOT...LOC 0843Z 252DEG 59KT 3496 8520 3460 8538 3426 8542