4 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 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 Mar 20, 7:15 PM EST, 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 715 PM EST SAT MAR 20 2004 .UPDATE...QUICK UPDATE TO REMOVE MENTION OF 9 PM TIMING FOR SHRA/TSRA IN FIRST PERIOD ZONES. VERY UNSTABLE AIR MASS IN PLACE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL/CENTRAL GA...AND ISOLATED CONVECTION ALREADY DEVELOPING IN THIS AREA. MEANWHILE...REMNANTS OF FIRST SQUALL LINE MOVING INTO NW GA COUNTIES...WITH POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY LATER. ZONES MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED TO INCLUDE TSRA AFT MIDNIGHT IF STRONG LINE OF CONVECTION ACROSS W TN HOLDS TOGETHER. HOWEVER...SFC BASED INSTABILITY IS LOST AFTER 06Z. WILL MONITOR AND LIKELY ISSUE MORE SIGNIFICANT UPDATE LATER. && .PREV DISCUSSION 338 PM EST... AFTERNOON CUMULUS DEVELOPING AS MOISTURE INCREASES IN LOW LEVEL SOUTHERLY FLOW. A COLD FRONT OVER THE OHIO VALLEY WILL ENTER NORTH GEORGIA TONIGHT AND EXIT SOUTH GEORGIA LATE SUNDAY. IT WILL PRECEDED BY A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH ANOTHER LINE OF ACTIVITY WITH THE FRONT ITSELF. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY APPROACH SEVERE LIMITS..BUT NOT EXPECTED. THE SITUATION WILL BE MONITORED. THE STRONGEST ACTIVITY WILL BE OVER NORTH GEORGIA BEFORE MIDNIGHT. THE MAIN UPPER SUPPORT IN THE FORM OF COLD AIR ADVECTION...JET ASSOCIATED DIVERGENCE...SHEAR ETC. STAYS TO OUR NORTH AND NORTHEAST. AS THE FRONT GETS INTO THE STATE AFTER SUNSET...MUCH OF THE LOWER SUPPORT AND DESTABILIZATION DIMINISHES AS THE FRONT GETS SOUTH AND THE DIURNAL HEATING COMPONENT IS LOST. ON SUNDAY THERE WILL BE STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION...WHICH WILL BRING TEMPERATURES FROM AROUND 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL TO 10 DEGREES AND LORE BELOW NORMAL. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY MOVING A LOT OF AIR AROUND VIA A STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT. WITH 850 WIND AROUND 30-40KT PLUS WINDS ALREADY GUSTING TO 30 TO 40MPH BEHIND THE FRONT...A SPS WAS ISSUED FOR SUNDAY FOR STRONG WINDS...BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA. IN GENERAL FAVORED AVN MOS AS IT HAS VERIFIED WELL OVER THE LAST WEEK. THE REST OF THE FORECAST LOOKS IN GENERAL DRY WITH HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT DOMINATING OUR WEATHER INTO THE WEEKEND. AS A RESULT TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN TO ABOVE SEASONAL VALUES. && .AVIATION... LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH COLD FRONT LOCATED FROM FROM OHIO VALLEY INTO OKLAHOMA...APPEARS TO BE WEAKENING AS IT MOVES SOUTHEAST ACROSS TENNESSEE. LOOK FOR THE LINE TO MOVE INTO EXTREME NORTHWEST GEORGIA BY 7 PM...WEAKENING FURTHER WITH REMNANTS NEARING ATL TO AHN LINE AROUND 02Z. CURRENT THINKING CHANCES OF THUNDER VERY SMALL BY THE TIME PRECIP BAND BEGINS TO AFFECT ANY OF THE TAF SITES...AND PLAN TO ONLY GO WITH SHOWERS AT THIS TIME. EXPECT GENERALLY SCT CLOUDS AROUND 5 TO 6 THOUSAND FEET TO PERSIST THROUGH EARLY EVENING...WITH CIGS DEVELOPING AROUND 4 TO 5 THOUSAND FEET MAINLY NORTHERN TAF SITES AFT 02Z. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS AROUND 10KTS BECOMING NORTHWEST 10 TO 15KTS AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE. LOOK FOR FRONT TO PUSH THROUGH NRN TAF SITES 07-09Z...10-12Z CSG-MCN. LOOK FOR GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS TO PERSIST THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATLANTA 51 58 33 54 / 30 10 00 00 ATHENS 51 61 32 55 / 30 10 00 00 GAINESVILLE 49 62 33 54 / 50 10 00 00 ROME 50 59 32 52 / 50 10 00 00 COLUMBUS 56 68 38 60 / 20 20 00 00 MACON 54 67 36 56 / 20 20 00 00 && .ATL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && RAB/VW/49
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 500 PM EST SAT MAR 20 2004 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-210300- BALDWIN-BANKS-BARROW-BARTOW-BIBB-BLECKLEY-BUTTS-CARROLL-CATOOSA- CHATTAHOOCHEE-CHATTOOGA-CHEROKEE-CLARKE-CLAYTON-COBB-COWETA-CRAWFORD- CRISP-DADE-DAWSON-DE KALB-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- 500 PM EST SAT MAR 20 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE OVER NORTH GEORGIA MAINLY TONIGHT... .SYNOPSIS... SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO PULL AWAY FROM GEORGIA AND THE CAROLINAS THROUGH THIS EVENING...WHILE A COLD FRONT LOCATED FROM THE OHIO VALLEY REGION BACK INTO OKLAHOMA...PUSHES SOUTHEAST. THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA OVERNIGHT. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT MAINLY NORTH GEORGIA TONIGHT. .PRIMARY HAZARD...THE PRIMARY HAZARD FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LIGHTNING. .DISCUSSION... SURFACE DEWPOINTS WILL CONTINUE TO RISE INTO THE 50S ACROSS NORTH AND MIDDLE GEORGIA THROUGH THE EVENING...WHILE CAPES INCREASE INTO THE 500 TO 1000 RANGE. THE BEST CHANCE FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20 AND BETWEEN 8 PM AND 3 AM. .FOR SPOTTERS... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAY TWO THROUGH DAY SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD. && FOR THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK AND OTHER WEATHER INFORMATION...PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV...AND CLICK ON GEORGIA.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 305 PM EST SAT MAR 20 2004 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-075-212300- BANKS-BARROW-BARTOW-BUTTS-CARROLL-CATOOSA-CHATTOOGA-CHEROKEE-CLARKE- CLAYTON-COBB-COWETA-DADE-DAWSON-DE KALB-DOUGLAS-FANNIN-FAYETTE-FLOYD- FORSYTH-GILMER-GLASCOCK-GORDON-GREENE-GWINNETT-HALL-HANCOCK-HARALSON- HEARD-HENRY-JACKSON-JASPER-LUMPKIN-MADISON-MORGAN-MURRAY-NEWTON- NORTH FULTON-OCONEE-OGLETHORPE-PAULDING-PICKENS-POLK-PUTNAM-ROCKDALE- SOUTH FULTON-SPALDING-TALIAFERRO-TOWNS-UNION-WALKER-WALTON-WARREN- WHITE-WHITFIELD-WILKES- 305 PM EST SAT MAR 20 2004 ...HIGH WINDS SUNDAY OVER NORTH GEORGIA... A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NORTH GEORGIA TONIGHT AND EXIT THE STATE SUNDAY. A STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT BEHIND THE FRONT WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY FAIRLY STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION THAT WILL RETURN TEMPERATURES TO BELOW NORMAL VALUES. THESE FACTORS WILL RESULT IN WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS SPREADING OVER THE STATE SUNDAY MORNING AND LASTING UNTIL SUNSET. THE STRONG WINDS WILL BE MAINLY CONFINED TO AREAS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20...WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA...WHERE WINDS GUSTS TO 35 MPH MAY OCCUR. NORTH GEORGIA RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO KEEP ALERT TO THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 724 PM EST SAT MAR 20 2004 GAZ004>006-210115- 724 PM EST SAT MAR 20 2004 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR 40 MPH WINDS IN NORTHERN FANNIN...NORTHERN WHITFIELD AND NORTHERN MURRAY COUNTIES UNTIL 815 PM EST... AT 722 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF VARNELL...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 40 MPH ARE LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS. RESIDENTS SHOULD PREPARE FOR STRONG WINDS IN THE ADVISED AREA BEFORE THE ACTIVITY ENDS BY 815 PM EST. SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERTS ARE ISSUED WHEN WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH 40 TO 50 MPH...HAIL IS EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN THE SIZE OF DIMES...OR SIGNIFICANT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED. 39
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 757 PM EST SAT MAR 20 2004 GAZ006-007-210130- 757 PM EST SAT MAR 20 2004 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR PEA-SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 45 MPH WINDS IN NORTHERN GILMER AND FANNIN COUNTIES UNTIL 830 PM EST... AT 753 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES WEST OF BLUE RIDGE...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 45 MPH ARE LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS. RESIDENTS SHOULD PREPARE FOR STRONG WINDS IN THE ADVISED AREA BEFORE THE ACTIVITY ENDS BY 830 PM EST. PEA SIZE HAIL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING MAY ALSO OCCUR WITH THIS STORM. 39
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 160 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:10 UTC.
4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The Fannin county 911 center reported that golf ball-sized hail was observed at the June Walker Chevrolet dealership just southwest of Blue Ridge.
The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Greer, South Carolina relayed a report from an amateur radio operator of penny-sized hail.
The National Weather Service in Greer, South Carolina relayed a report from an amateur radio operator of half-dollar-sized hail near the White county line. The individual also reported a wind gust to 50 mph.
The public reported nickel-sized hail just west of Dahlonega.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, March 2004
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: 5388342, 5388345, 5388343, 5388344.