Alert archive / Georgia / Special Weather Statements in 2020

Special Weather Statement, NWS Atlanta, GA

May 5, 2020Dawson County, Gilmer County, Pickens County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this special weather statement at May 5, 2020, 12:49 AM EDT for Dawson County, Gilmer County, Pickens County, Georgia. It was in force for 26 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: May 5, 2020, 12:49 AM EDT (04:49 UTC)
Expired: May 5, 2020, 1:15 AM EDT
In force: 26 min
Issued by: NWS Atlanta, GA
Hail: 0.75 in
Wind: 50

Counties Dawson County, GA, Gilmer County, GA, Pickens County, GA

The radar

The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 134 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:52 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 4.8 hours before the alert went out and 133 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: 475 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -127 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1568 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 50 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 112 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

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What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this special weather statement 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 special weather statement went out at May 4, 10:24 PM EDT, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 4, 10:24 PM EDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
1024 PM EDT Mon May 4 2020

.UPDATE...
Continuing to monitor the inbound convection toward NW GA.
Damaging winds and hail are the main hazards.

BDL

&&

PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 708 PM EDT Mon May 4 2020/

SHORT TERM /Tonight through Tuesday Night/...

Current satellite/radar loop shows increasing clouds across North
and Central GA with a wave moving E to SE out of the Mid MS River
Valley. This wave is expected to continue to push east and should
clip N GA late this afternoon/evening. Will see some showers and
thunderstorms as this wave pushes through mainly across N GA. The
models are showing, as this wave moves through, the best moisture
and dynamics stays north of the state so not sure just how much we
will see this evening. As the storms move across there is enough
instability developing across N GA to spark of some strong and possibly
severe storms, but any that develop will be isolated. The greatest
threats appear to be lightning strikes, Damaging winds, and some
hail. The potential for some severe storms may also continue through
the overnight hours as some hi-res models are hinting at a more
organized complex of storms moving across N GA after midnight. This
definitely isn't out of the question especially with the weak
northwest flow aloft and the wave moving through.

By Tuesday morning, a developing closed low over the central plains
will have moved east into the Mid MS river valley. This low center
is expected to continue to move E to Ne through Wed morning with its
associated cold front moving through the region Tuesday
afternoon/night. Although moisture looks to be fairly limited, there
will be ample lift with this system to continue with chance pops
across the northern zones in the evening hours. The front looks to
dry out some as it continues into central Georgia through Wed
morning. Strong to isolated severe thunderstorms will again be
possible with this front, mainly across north Georgia, due to
moderate instability and steep lapse rates. The main hazards with
any storms will again be damaging winds, lightning, and hail. SPC
has also put portions of north Georgia under a Marginal Risk for day
2.

01

LONG TERM /Wednesday through Monday/...

A series of rossby wave breaks over the north Atlantic will help
keep a block of high PV stratospheric air entrenched over the
eastern portion of North America. Within this, several tropospheric
polar vorticies (TPVs) will rotate around the edge of this and
elongate into PV streamers which will provide ascent for surface
cyclogenesis across the eastern US, keeping a somewhat active but
cooler pattern in place over the next week into early next week as
a series of quick moving lows and cold fronts move through.

By Wednesday morning, a cold front should be through most of the CWA
with the possible exception of the far southeastern counties which
may still be experiencing some precipitation. Guidance has mostly
backed off the idea of any wrap around moisture on the backside of
the low getting squeezed out over the north GA mountains, so lowered
PoPs. Cooler air moves in with the cold front for Thursday keeping
temperatures seasonable across much of the CWA.

Friday, shortwave moving out of the midwest aligns with the larger
scale trough over the eastern US and dives into our area, generating
a surface low over the Ohio River valley which quickly moves to the
northeast. Another cold front moves into the CWA with this,
providing the next opportunity for rain Friday into Friday night.
Both GFS and Euro have become a little more aggressive with
precipitation, though overall accumulations are still light given
limited moisture in the post-frontal environment that will still
exist as well as possibility of storms to the southwest preventing
much in the way of moisture return during the day. Instability is
very limited and upper-level lapse rates are not favorable, but hard
to rule out the possibility of thunder along a cold front this time
of year in Georgia. Will keep Thunder in the forecast Friday and
Friday night.

Northwest flow behind the front will bring in another reinforcing
shot of cold air. Highs will be in the upper 60s to low 70s across
the CWA over the weekend and lows down into the 40s across the area
and even upper 30s in the north Georgia mountains. Next possible
system moves by on Monday, though current guidance keeps it north of
the CWA.

Lusk

AVIATION...
00Z Update...
VFR conditions are expected to continue. Best chances for
showers and storms are over far n GA tonight.
Surface winds varying around West less than 10 kts tonight
and 8-12 kts for Tuesday with some gusts around 20 kts.

//ATL Confidence...00Z Update...
Medium to high confidence for all elements.

BDL

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Athens          64  85  55  70 /  20  20  30   0
Atlanta         65  83  54  68 /  20  20  30   5
Blairsville     59  77  46  59 /  50  50  40   5
Cartersville    63  83  51  67 /  30  30  40   5
Columbus        63  87  59  75 /   5  10  20   5
Gainesville     62  82  53  66 /  30  30  30   0
Macon           63  87  59  75 /   0   5  10   5
Rome            63  81  51  68 /  50  40  30   5
Peachtree City  62  84  54  71 /  10  20  30   5
Vidalia         65  89  66  79 /   0   0  10   5

&&

.FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 1 AM EDT Tuesday for the
following zones: Catoosa...Chattooga...Dade...Dawson...Fannin...
Floyd...Gilmer...Gordon...Lumpkin...Murray...Pickens...Towns...
Union...Walker...White...Whitfield.

&&

SHORT TERM...BDL
LONG TERM....Morgan
AVIATION...BDL

Hazardous weather outlook, May 4, 8:29 PM EDT, 4 hours 20 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
829 PM EDT Mon May 4 2020

GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086-
089>098-102>113-060030-
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-
829 PM EDT Mon May 4 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and Central Georgia.

.DAY ONE...Tonight...

The chance for severe storms has increased over portions of north
Georgia late this evening into the early morning hours. A Severe
Thunderstorm Watch has been issued accordingly until 1 AM. The
main threats will be damaging winds, large hail, and locally heavy
rainfall. An isolated brief tornado cannot be ruled out.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday...

There is a chance of thunderstorms Tuesday and Tuesday night and
again Friday and Friday night ahead of another cold front.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not requested but spotters are encouraged
to submit reports of severe weather through the web by going to
weather.gov/atlanta. Please relay any information about observed
severe weather to the NWS while following all local, state, and
CDC guidelines.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 5, 12:23 AM EDT, 26 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
1223 AM EDT Tue May 5 2020

GAZ006>008-014-015-050500-
Gilmer GA-Dawson GA-Union GA-Lumpkin GA-Fannin GA-
1223 AM EDT Tue May 5 2020

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN GILMER...
NORTHWESTERN DAWSON...SOUTHERN UNION...LUMPKIN AND SOUTHEASTERN
FANNIN COUNTIES UNTIL 100 AM EDT...

At 1223 AM EDT...a strong thunderstorm was over Stover Creek Shelter,
or 14 miles east of Ellijay...moving east at 45 mph.

  HAZARD...40 to 50 mph wind...up to penny sized hail and frequent
           cloud to ground lightning.

  IMPACT...Expect minor damage to tree limbs and blowing around of
           light...unsecured objects.

Some locations in the path of this storm include
Dahlonega, Suches, Amicalola Falls State Park, Jones Creek, Woods
Hole Shelter, Fausett Lake, Len Foote Hike Inn, Pisgah, Vogel State
Park, Stover Creek Shelter, Turners Corner, Gaddistown, Margret, Camp
Merrill, Dial, Springer Mountain Shelter, Owltown, Black Gap Shelter,
Auraria and Hawk Mountain Shelter.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

People outdoors should seek shelter immediately. If you can hear
thunder...you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

LAT...LON 3482 8386 3472 8385 3469 8386 3468 8387
      3462 8388 3461 8386 3455 8386 3454 8384
      3450 8384 3448 8388 3445 8407 3451 8429
      3471 8436 3488 8406
TIME...MOT...LOC 0423Z 248DEG 40KT 3467 8423

HAIL...0.75IN
WIND...50MPH

Local storm report, May 5, 12:43 AM EDT, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
1243 AM EDT TUE MAY 05 2020

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

1218 AM     TSTM WND DMG     RESACA                  34.58N  84.94W
05/05/2020                   GORDON             GA   911 CALL CENTER

            TREE DOWN ACROSS NICKLESVILLE RD NE JUST EAST OF US41

&&

EVENT NUMBER FFC2000657

SNELSON

Special weather statement, May 5, 12:49 AM EDT, 0 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
1249 AM EDT Tue May 5 2020

GAZ006-007-013>015-021-050515-
Gilmer GA-Dawson GA-Cherokee GA-Pickens GA-Lumpkin GA-Fannin GA-
1249 AM EDT Tue May 5 2020

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN GILMER...WESTERN
DAWSON...NORTHERN CHEROKEE...PICKENS...SOUTHWESTERN LUMPKIN AND
SOUTHEASTERN FANNIN COUNTIES UNTIL 115 AM EDT...

At 1248 AM EDT...a line of strong thunderstorms was along a line
extending from near Cherry Log to near Jasper to near Salacoa
Valley...and moving east at 40 mph.

  HAZARD...40 to 50 mph wind...up to penny sized hail and frequent
           cloud to ground lightning.

  IMPACT...Expect minor damage to tree limbs and blowing around of
           light...unsecured objects.

Some locations in the path of these storms include
Jasper, Ellijay, Ball Ground, Nelson, Waleska, East Ellijay,
Amicalola Falls State Park, Sequoyah Lake, Juno, Fausett Lake, Len
Foote Hike Inn, Cartecay, Pisgah, Talmadge, Tate, Stover Creek
Shelter, McKee, Marblehill, Dial and Springer Mountain Shelter.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

People outdoors should seek shelter immediately. If you can hear
thunder...you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

LAT...LON 3476 8416 3466 8415 3465 8415 3465 8414
      3446 8412 3427 8433 3435 8465 3441 8465
      3441 8460 3451 8448 3476 8448
TIME...MOT...LOC 0448Z 274DEG 34KT 3474 8436 3451 8442 3437 8463

HAIL...0.75IN
WIND...50MPH

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 4, 11:29 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Walker, Whitfield	46 min
May 4, 11:50 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Chattooga, Floyd	25 min
May 5, 12:09 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Bartow, Chattooga, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon and 4 more	51 min
May 5, 12:23 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	FFC	Lumpkin, Union	37 min
May 5, 12:55 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	FFC	Towns, White	20 min
May 5, 1:06 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	FFC	Lumpkin, White	24 min
May 5, 1:11 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Lumpkin, Union, White	34 min
May 5, 4:28 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	FFC	Catoosa, Walker, Whitfield	47 min
May 5, 4:44 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	FFC	Fannin	46 min
May 5, 5:36 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	FFC	Gilmer, Union	24 min
May 5, 6:02 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	FFC	White	28 min
May 5, 6:32 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	FFC	White	13 min
May 5, 6:34 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	FFC	Dawson, Lumpkin	26 min
May 5, 6:38 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	White	22 min
May 5, 6:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Dawson, Hall, Lumpkin, Pickens, White	48 min
May 5, 6:46 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	FFC	Pickens	29 min
May 5, 7:13 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	FFC	Banks	17 min
May 5, 7:16 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FFC	Banks	14 min
May 5, 7:30 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	FFC	Banks, Forsyth, Hall	30 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Georgia, 2020 Every special weather statement in 2020

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.