Severe Thunderstorm Warning 288, NWS Atlanta, GA

481 
WWUS52 KFFC 202321
SVSFFC

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
721 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2026

GAC261-202330-
/O.CON.KFFC.SV.W.0288.000000T0000Z-260820T2330Z/
Sumter GA-
721 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2026

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM EDT
FOR SOUTHWESTERN SUMTER COUNTY...

At 720 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Maddox, or near
Americus, and is nearly stationary.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...
Americus, Plains, Sumter, Huntington, Maddox, and Croxton Crossroads.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

&&

LAT...LON 3190 8437 3192 8438 3196 8444 3204 8444
      3204 8443 3206 8443 3214 8425 3200 8412
      3191 8419 3192 8434 3187 8434
TIME...MOT...LOC 2320Z 050DEG 2KT 3202 8428 

HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
246 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2026

...Afternoon Area Forecast Discussion...

.KEY MESSAGES...

 - Scattered storms will be possible during the afternoon and
   evening today and Friday. Some storms could be severe with
   damaging winds, frequent lightning, and locally heavy rainfall.

 - Warm and humid conditions through Friday, with heat index
   values climbing back into the triple digits each afternoon.

 - Dry and relatively cooler conditions move in over the weekend
   into early next week.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(This afternoon through Friday)
Issued at 151 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Potential:

Starting out with relatively benign weather early this afternoon
under mostly clear skies and light winds, courtesy of some remnant
dry air in the low to mid-levels. Despite this drier air, we
could still see a pop-up showers and storms through the early
evening hours as diurnal heating peaks and some moisture starts
spreading over the area. By around sunset, a frontal boundary and
mid-level shortwave will be dropping across the TN Valley,
sparking off a line of strong to severe storms in a moist and
unstable environment. Guidance continues to show this line
pushing into far NW GA around 8PM, then gradually falling apart as
it moves southeast across North GA and into Central GA through
around 12-2AM. The primary threat with this line of storms would
be damaging wind gusts, in addition to frequent lightning and
locally heavy rainfall.

On Friday, the area of highest moisture and instability out ahead
of the frontal boundary will slide south across our area,
generally along and south of the I-85 corridor. With this, we can
expect numerous showers and storms developing during the afternoon
and evening across that corridor, with drier air and low rain
chances to the north. A few storms may be strong to severe across
Central GA, with damaging winds as the primary threat, in addition
to frequent lightning and locally heavy rainfall.

Heat Concerns:

A warm and humid airmass spreading back across the area today will
allow high temperatures to surge into the mid to upper 90s, with
heat index values in the triple digits through the early evening.
These heat concerns will return Friday afternoon and evening, with
near heat advisory conditions across Central GA. Please remember
to use some caution if you are outdoors exerting yourself,
especially during peak afternoon heating. Thankfully, a drier and
relatively cooler airmass will start to spread across the area
behind a frontal boundary Friday night.

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Saturday morning through next Wednesday)
Issued at 151 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2026

As the weekend rolls around and the front clears out. we should
be left with a few days of very pleasant weather. Temps will
remain in the upper 80s and 90s until Wednesday, but RH values in
the afternoon will drop into the mid to low 40s bringing heat
index values down and making it feel very dry for this time of
year.

With this dry airmass behind the front, we'll also get a break
from thunderstorms during the afternoon as well until Wednesday
when winds become more southerly and we start to pull moisture
back in from the Gulf. This weekend and early next week will be a
great opportunity to be outside without hating it.

After Wednesday, the upper level flow becomes more zonal and
we'll start to see a return to the diurnal pattern that we are
used to. With that pattern, we are also expecting a slow return of
triple digit heat indices for the second half of the work week.

&&

.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 138 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2026

Generally VFR conditions through the TAF period outside of any
impacts from SHRA/TSRA. Iso SHRA/TSRA possible through around 00Z,
with a potential line of TSRA moving north to south across the
area between 00-06Z. Another round of SHRA/TSRA possible Fri
afternoon. Winds primarily out of NNW at 4-7kts through the
evening, but will be variable at times. Winds go light and
variable overnight, generally returning out of NNW on Friday.

//ATL Confidence...18Z Update...

Medium in wind direction.
Medium in TSRA chances and timing through 06Z.

Culver

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Athens          73  94  70  93 /  20  50  40   0
Atlanta         75  93  73  92 /  30  50  30   0
Blairsville     67  86  64  86 /  30  60  20   0
Cartersville    72  93  70  93 /  40  30  20   0
Columbus        75  95  73  94 /  30  50  30  10
Gainesville     73  92  70  91 /  30  50  30   0
Macon           74  95  72  93 /  20  60  40  10
Rome            72  92  69  93 /  40  30  10   0
Peachtree City  72  93  70  92 /  30  50  20   0
Vidalia         75  98  73  94 /  10  70  50  30

&&

.FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.
&&

SHORT TERM...Culver
LONG TERM....Vaughn
AVIATION...Culver

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
147 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2026

GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086-
089>098-102>113-211800-
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-
147 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north and central Georgia.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight...

Isolated to scattered thunderstorms will be possible across most
of north and central Georgia through the early overnight hours. A
few storms could be severe with damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph
the primary concern. Any storms that do form will be capable of
strong winds, locally heavy rain, and frequent lightning.

Heat index values will be in the triple digits across north and
central Georgia this afternoon. While Heat Advisories haven't been
issued, it is still unseasonably warm. Please drink plenty of
water and take frequent breaks if outdoors.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday...

Scattered thunderstorms are possible across north and central
Georgia again on Friday, mainly during the afternoon and evening
hours. A few storms could be strong to severe with strong to
damaging winds, frequent lightning, and locally heavy rainfall.

Hot and humid conditions continue into Friday across much of the
area, with heat index values rising into the triple digits each
afternoon.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight.

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
608 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2026

GAZ069-071-081-202245-
Monroe GA-Upson GA-Crawford GA-
608 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2026

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern Monroe,
eastern Upson and northwestern Crawford Counties through 645 PM
EDT...

At 607 PM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was over Logtown, or 10 miles
east of Thomaston. This storm was nearly stationary.

HAZARD...Up to 40 mph wind, frequent cloud to ground lightning and
         heavy rain.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect minor damage to tree limbs and blowing around of
         light, unsecured objects. Heavy rain may cause temporary
         street flooding especially in poor drainage areas.

Locations impacted include...
Yatesville, Culloden, Salem, and Logtown.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

People outdoors should seek shelter immediately. If you can hear
thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Motorists
should slow down and be prepared for possible loss of control due to
hydroplaning.

&&

LAT...LON 3278 8430 3297 8417 3294 8412 3293 8412
      3293 8410 3288 8400 3270 8414
TIME...MOT...LOC 2207Z 127DEG 1KT 3284 8416

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
643 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2026

GAZ104-202315-
Sumter GA-
643 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2026

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern Sumter
County through 715 PM EDT...

At 643 PM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was over Maddox, or near
Americus. This storm was nearly stationary.

HAZARD...Up to 40 mph wind, pea sized hail and frequent cloud to
         ground lightning.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

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

Locations impacted include...
Americus, Plains, Sumter, Huntington, Maddox, and Croxton Crossroads.

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 3190 8437 3192 8438 3196 8444 3204 8444
      3204 8443 3207 8443 3214 8425 3210 8416
      3200 8412 3191 8419 3192 8434 3187 8434
TIME...MOT...LOC 2243Z 050DEG 2KT 3203 8425

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH