County emergency managers reported that strong non-convective winds blew down several trees. The winds were in association with a strong low-level jet in advance of a cold front and accompanying line of rain showers.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS FFC wrote it up.
County emergency managers reported that strong non-convective winds blew down several trees. The winds were in association with a strong low-level jet in advance of a cold front and accompanying line of rain showers. Wind gusts in Forsyth county were estimated at 50 mph by a storm spotter. Sustained winds of 25 to 30 mph, with gusts of 35 to 40 mph, were common throughout the area for a brief period.
The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Dec 10, 5:15 AM EST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 515 AM EST WED DEC 10 2003 ...315 AM EST PUBLIC FORECAST DISCUSSION... .OVERVIEW... MODELS CLOSE. GFS/AVN PREFERRED. FROM=NT, WIND AND PRECIP FASTER THAN ORIGINALLY THOUGHT. BIGGEST CONCERN WILL BE GUSTY SURFACE WINDS BEFORE AND AFTER FRONT. .SHORT TERM... WIND SHIFT ATL AROUND 12Z AND FROPA AROUND 18Z. FRONT TO EXIT CWA BY 21Z. LLJ AHEAD OF FRONT WITH 65KT AROUND 3000KT. QUESTION ID TRANSLATION DOWN TO SURFACE. CURRENTLY SEEING 15-20MPH WITH GUSTS TO JUST ABOVE 30MPH WITH LINE SHOWERS OVER AL. SLOW VEERING OF WINDS AS TROF FAIRLY BROAD. WILL ISSUE SPS ON WIND, BUT DO NOT FEEL MEET CRITERIA FOR ADVISORY. WILL MONITOR. SYSTEM FAST MOVING SO LITTLE THREAT OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. EXPECT LESS THAN AN INCH IN HEAVIEST LOCATIONS. LIMITED CHANCES FOR CONVECTION DUE TO STABILIZING OF ATMOSPHERE BY RAIN AHEAD OF LITTLE LINE A HEAD OF FRONT. UPPER SUPPORT ALSO LIMITED. WILL LEAVE MENTION OF ISOLATED TRWS, BUT LIS STAY POSITIVE AND MAIN UPPER SUPPORT GOES NE. BEST CHANCE SOUTH OF CSG-MCN LINE. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL DURING THE DAY WITH HIGHS JUST AHEAD OF FRONT. UPPER WAVE IN BROAD NEAR ZONAL FLOW ACROSS US WILL MOVE ACROSS GA TODAY TO OFF COAST THURSDAY. ASSOCIATED FRONT WILL FOLLOW...MOVING ACROSS STATE TODAY. WHILE WILL BE COOLING BEHIND FRONT, WILL NOT LAST AS FLOW REMAINS NEARLY ZONAL. HIGH BUILDS IN OVER GA THURSDAY. .EXTENDED... PROGRESSIVE PATTERN HAS NEXT SYSTEM ALREADY ON DOORSTEPS. NEXT SYSTEM A LITTLE DIFFERENT. ANOTHER UPPER WAVE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE STATE ACROSS THE WEEKEND WITH ANOTHER SYSTEM ON ITS HEELS TO MOVE IN MID WEEK. NEXT SYSTEM IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN THAT IT IS PRECEDED BY A WEDGE AND DEVELOPS A SURFACE LOW IN THE GULF SATURDAY NIGHT. WITH WEDGE KEPT TEMPS OVER WEEKEND BELOW SEASONAL VALUES NEAR MEX GUIDANCE. AS LOW PASSES WILL FLIRT WITH MIXED PRECIP NORTH, BUT WILL NOT MENTION FOR NOW. AS ALWAYS, TIMING CONCERNS, SO WILL NOT GET SPECIFIC TOWARD END OF PERIOD. INTERESTING WEATHER. STAY TUNED. .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... KATL 54 33 50 31 / 99 10 00 00 KAHN 56 34 53 31 / 99 10 00 00 KGVL 52 33 52 29 / 99 10 00 00 KRMG 56 31 51 27 / 99 10 00 00 KCSG 59 36 57 35 / 90 10 00 00 KMCN 58 36 57 30 / 90 10 00 00 .ATL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...WIND ADVISORY FOR TODAY FOR EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA MOUNTAINS. ...515 AM EST AVIATION FORECAST DISCUSSION... SEVERAL AVIATION CONCERNS DURING THE FIRST 12 HOURS OF THE FORECAST...THEN THINGS BEGIN TO QUIET DOWN RAPIDLY WITH A RETURN TO VFR CONDITIONS BETWEEN 06Z AND 12Z THU. OF IMMEDIATE CONCERN...IS A BAND OF STRONG WINDS JUST ABOVE THE SFC...THAT MAY TRANSLATE DOWN TO THE SFC DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS IN ASSOCIATION WITH A NARROW LINE OF SHOWERS. HOWEVER...AS THIS HAS COME ACROSS AL...THE ACTIVITY HAS WEAKENED AND SO HAVE THE WINDS. 60KT+ LLJ AT 850MB TRANSLATING ACROSS THE AREA 09-13Z STILL A CONCERN. CURRENT THINKING NOW IS PERIOD OF WINDS FOR ATL 130-15015G25KT BETWEEN 09-13Z...THEN BECOMING MORE WESTERLY DURING THE LATE MORNING...BUT CONTINUING IN THE 15G25KT RANGE. HAVE BACKED OFF EARLIER IDEA OF G35KT. CIGS AND VSYBS WILL RANGE MOSTLY IN THE IFR AREA 12Z-16Z WITH CIGS AOB 010 AND VSYBS 1-3SM. PCPN WILL END BY 18Z...WITH VSBYS MVFR OR BETTER...BUT WRAP AROUND MOISTURE WILL KEEP LOW CLOUDS AND CIGS AOB 025 THROUGHOUT THE AFTN. CLOUDS COULD WELL LINGER TO 06Z THU...BUT CLEARING SHOULD BE RAPID AFTER THAT...ALONG WITH DIMINISHING WINDS. VW/RAB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 530 AM EST WED DEC 10 2003 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-101630- 530 AM EST WED DEC 10 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY. ...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE ACROSS MIDDLE GEORGIA AROUND MIDDAY... .SYNOPSIS... A STRONG TROUGH ALOFT WILL ROTATE QUICKLY THROUGH THE AREA TODAY. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH GEORGIA TODAY IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA THURSDAY BEHIND THESE WEATHER SYSTEMS. .PRIMARY HAZARD... THE GREATEST HAZARD FROM THUNDERSTORMS TODAY WILL BE FROM WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 40 MPH. .DISCUSSION... A STRONG...AND NEGATIVELY TILTED UPPER TROUGH WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE AREA TODAY AND PUSH A STRONG COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION. AREAS OF RAIN AND EMBEDDED HEAVIER SHOWERS CAN BE EXPECTED IN ADVANCE OF THIS WEATHER SYSTEM THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. PRECIPITATION WILL LINGER UP TO 3 HOURS AFTER THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP DURING THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON AS THE FRONT MOVES INTO MIDDLE GEORGIA. HOWEVER...LIMITED INSTABILITY AND THERMODYNAMICS WILL INHIBIT MUCH THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. A STRONG LOW-LEVEL JET AROUND 3000 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND COULD MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE WITH HEAVIER RAIN SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...THUS POSING THE GREATEST POTENTIAL WEATHER HAZARD TO THE AREA TODAY. .FOR SPOTTERS... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY. .DAY TWO THROUGH DAY SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. SEVERAL WEATHER SYSTEMS WILL AFFECT THE AREA DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...ONE OVER THE WEEKEND AND ANOTHER BY NEXT TUESDAY. AT THIS TIME...THESE APPEAR TO BE MAINLY RAIN PRODUCING SYSTEMS. THUS...HAZARDOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .OTHER HAZARDS... STRONG GUSTY SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH WINDS IN ADVANCE OF THE COLD FRONT TODAY WILL BECOME SOUTHWEST TO WEST BY AFTERNOON...BUT CONTINUE TO BE STRONG AND GUSTY. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH...WITH GUSTS OF 25 TO 30 MPH ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE DAY. THESE WINDS COULD CAUSE SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES AS SOME TREES MAY BE BLOWN DOWN ONTO POWER LINES. THE GREATEST THREAT OF STRONG GUSTY WINDS WILL BE AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS IN THE NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS. && FOR THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK AND OTHER WEATHER INFORMATION...PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV...AND CLICK ON GEORGIA. RAB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 335 AM EST WED DEC 10 2003 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>060-066>070-078-079-089- 101122- 335 AM EST WED DEC 10 2003 BANKS GA-BARROW GA-BARTOW GA-BUTTS GA-CARROLL GA-CATOOSA GA- CHATTOOGA GA-CHEROKEE GA-CLARKE GA-CLAYTON GA-COBB GA-COWETA GA- DADE GA-DAWSON GA-DE KALB GA-DOUGLAS GA-FANNIN GA-FAYETTE GA- FLOYD GA-FORSYTH GA-GILMER GA-GORDON GA-GREENE GA-GWINNETT GA- HALL GA-HARALSON GA-HARRIS GA-HEARD GA-HENRY GA-JACKSON GA-JASPER GA- LAMAR GA-LUMPKIN GA-MADISON GA-MERIWETHER GA-MORGAN GA-MURRAY GA- MUSCOGEE GA-NEWTON GA-NORTH FULTON GA-OCONEE GA-OGLETHORPE GA- PAULDING GA-PICKENS GA-PIKE GA-POLK GA-PUTNAM GA-ROCKDALE GA- SOUTH FULTON GA-SPALDING GA-TALBOT GA-TALIAFERRO GA-TOWNS GA- TROUP GA-UNION GA-UPSON GA-WALKER GA-WALTON GA-WHITE GA-WHITFIELD GA- WILKES GA- ...STRONG...GUSTY WINDS TO AFFECT NORTH GEORGIA THIS MORNING... A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NORTH GEORGIA THIS MORNING. ACCOMPANYING THE FRONT WILL BE A NARROW LINE OF RAIN SHOWERS AND ASSOCIATED STRONG...GUSTY WINDS. THIS LINE OF SHOWERS WILL REACH THE ALABAMA/GEORGIA BORDER AROUND 5 AM EST...MOVING TO NEAR ATLANTA AND COLUMBUS NEAR OR BEFORE SUNRISE...AND MOVING EAST TO NEAR ATHENS AND MACON FROM MID TO LATE MORNING. SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE IN ADVANCE OF THIS LINE OF SHOWERS AT SPEEDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH AND GUSTY BETWEEN 4 AM AND 6 AM ACROSS NORTH AND WEST GEORGIA. SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WINDS AT 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 35 TO 40 MPH MAY ACCOMPANY THE LINE OF SHOWERS ITSELF. BEHIND THE LINE OF SHOWERS...WINDS WILL BECOME SOUTHWEST AND GRADUALLY WEST THROUGHOUT THE DAY...BUT CONTINUE AT SPEEDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH AND GUSTY. RESIDENTS OF NORTH GEORGIA SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE DAY...BUT ESPECIALLY DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL EXIST AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS...WHERE STRONG WINDS JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE WILL HAVE THE GREATEST LIKELIHOOD OF REACHING THE GROUND. THE EXPECTED STRONG WINDS COMBINED WITH RAIN WILL MAKE FOR POOR DRIVING CONDITIONS DURING THE MORNING RUSH HOURS. DRIVERS OF HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES...ESPECIALLY THOSE TRAVELING ON EAST-WEST ORIENTED ROADWAYS WILL WANT TO EXERCISE CAUTION DURING THE MORNING HOURS. THESE WINDS COULD ALSO BLOW AROUND LOOSE OBJECTS AND POSSIBLE DOWN A FEW TREES DUE TO THE WET GROUND AND GUSTY WINDS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. RAB/VW
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 350 AM EST WED DEC 10 2003 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>060-066>070-078-079-089- 101122- 350 AM EST WED DEC 10 2003 BANKS GA-BARROW GA-BARTOW GA-BUTTS GA-CARROLL GA-CATOOSA GA- CHATTOOGA GA-CHEROKEE GA-CLARKE GA-CLAYTON GA-COBB GA-COWETA GA- DADE GA-DAWSON GA-DE KALB GA-DOUGLAS GA-FANNIN GA-FAYETTE GA- FLOYD GA-FORSYTH GA-GILMER GA-GORDON GA-GREENE GA-GWINNETT GA- HALL GA-HARALSON GA-HARRIS GA-HEARD GA-HENRY GA-JACKSON GA-JASPER GA- LAMAR GA-LUMPKIN GA-MADISON GA-MERIWETHER GA-MORGAN GA-MURRAY GA- MUSCOGEE GA-NEWTON GA-NORTH FULTON GA-OCONEE GA-OGLETHORPE GA- PAULDING GA-PICKENS GA-PIKE GA-POLK GA-PUTNAM GA-ROCKDALE GA- SOUTH FULTON GA-SPALDING GA-TALBOT GA-TALIAFERRO GA-TOWNS GA- TROUP GA-UNION GA-UPSON GA-WALKER GA-WALTON GA-WHITE GA-WHITFIELD GA- WILKES GA- ...STRONG...GUSTY WINDS TO AFFECT NORTH GEORGIA THIS MORNING... A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NORTH GEORGIA THIS MORNING. ACCOMPANYING THE FRONT WILL BE A NARROW LINE OF RAIN SHOWERS AND ASSOCIATED STRONG...GUSTY WINDS. THIS LINE OF SHOWERS WILL REACH THE ALABAMA/GEORGIA BORDER AROUND 5 AM EST...MOVING TO NEAR ATLANTA AND COLUMBUS NEAR OR BEFORE SUNRISE...AND MOVING EAST TO NEAR ATHENS AND MACON FROM MID TO LATE MORNING. SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE IN ADVANCE OF THIS LINE OF SHOWERS AT SPEEDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH AND GUSTY BETWEEN 4 AM AND 6 AM ACROSS NORTH AND WEST GEORGIA. SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WINDS AT 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 35 TO 40 MPH MAY ACCOMPANY THE LINE OF SHOWERS ITSELF. BEHIND THE LINE OF SHOWERS...WINDS WILL BECOME SOUTHWEST AND GRADUALLY WEST THROUGHOUT THE DAY...BUT CONTINUE AT SPEEDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH AND GUSTY. RESIDENTS OF NORTH GEORGIA SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE DAY...BUT ESPECIALLY DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL EXIST AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS...WHERE STRONG WINDS JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE WILL HAVE THE GREATEST LIKELIHOOD OF REACHING THE GROUND. THE EXPECTED STRONG WINDS COMBINED WITH RAIN WILL MAKE FOR POOR DRIVING CONDITIONS DURING THE MORNING RUSH HOURS. DRIVERS OF HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES...ESPECIALLY THOSE TRAVELING ON EAST-WEST ORIENTED ROADWAYS WILL WANT TO EXERCISE CAUTION DURING THE MORNING HOURS. THESE WINDS COULD ALSO BLOW AROUND LOOSE OBJECTS AND POSSIBLE DOWN A FEW TREES DUE TO THE WET GROUND AND GUSTY WINDS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. RAB/VW
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, December 2003
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5330830, 5330831, 5330832, 5330833, 5330834.