A strong cold front and closed upper low brought very strong northwest winds to North Georgia. Measured wind speeds were sustained in the 30 to 40 mph range with a few gusts in excess of 50 mph.
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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.
A strong cold front and closed upper low brought very strong northwest winds to North Georgia. Measured wind speeds were sustained in the 30 to 40 mph range with a few gusts in excess of 50 mph. Higher elevations likely experienced even higher wind speeds. Most of the high wind criteria was met during the 9 am to noon EST period, with strong wind criteria for the afternoon and evening hours. Below are some of the specific damages reported with this event:Dawson county - Numerous trees and power lines down throughout the county. The city of Dawsonville was left without power for an extended period of time (reported by 911 center). Wind gusts to 43 mph observed on the north side of the county and 22 mph on the south side of the county.Lumpkin county - Numerous trees and power lines down throughout the county (reported by 911 center). Wind gust to 51 mph reported in Dahlonega.White county - Numerous trees and power lines down throughout the county. A number of roads were blocked and had to be closed. At least ten 100 foot pine trees were down near Yonah in central White county, one of which fell over the roof of a home. In addition, the city of Cleveland was left without power for at least 30 minutes (reported by 911 center).
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 Jan 14, 5:30 AM EST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 530 AM EST SAT JAN 14 2006 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH MONDAY) DEEP UPPER TROUGH CROSSING SOUTHEAST STATES TODAY. STRONG COLD ADVECTION PATTERN PERSISTING THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND HAVE STAYED CLOSE TO COOL SIDE OF GUIDANCE NUMBERS. STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE CWA TODAY AND THIS EVENING AS 850 MB JET NEAR 60 KTS MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. HAVE CONTINUED WITH THE WIND ADVISORY EXCEPT HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS. TROUGH MOVING OFF THE ATLANTIC COAST TONIGHT AND UPPER RIDGING BUILDING BACK INTO THE CWA FOR SUNDAY. UPPER FLOW RAPIDLY BECOMES SOUTHWEST LATE SUNDAY. MOISTURE RETURN INDICATED FOR NORTH AND WESTERN ZONES SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY) NEXT TROUGH DROPPING INTO THE CENTRAL STATES MONDAY AND TUESDAY. SOUTHWEST WINDS BRINGING BACK DEEPER MOISTURE DURING THIS TIME AND HAVE LEFT CHANCE TO LIKELY POPS FOR MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. STRONG DYNAMICS SUPPORT MENTION OF THUNDER FOR THE CWA TUESDAY. LOOKS LIKE A DRY DAY THURSDAY. NEXT SHIFT MAY WANT TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT FRIDAY. SOME QUESTION AS TO HOW FAST NEXT WEEKEND SYSTEM WILL AFFECT OUR AREA. && .AVIATION... BIGGEST CONCERN THIS MORNING IS THE STRONG NW WINDS. EXPECTING WINDS TO GET UP TO 25KT SUSTAINED WITH GUST 35 TO 40KT BY THIS AFTERNOON. WILL SEE LOW CLOUDS THIS MORNING BEGIN TO SCT OUT BY 14Z-15Z AND BECOME SKC BY 16Z-17Z. VSBYS SHOULD STAY P6SM ALL DAY. MAY SEE SOME VERY LIGHT MIXED PRECIP THIS MORNING BUT NOTHING THAT WOULD HINDER VSBYS. .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATLANTA 45 31 56 44 / 5 5 0 10 ATHENS 51 30 58 40 / 5 5 5 10 GAINESVILLE 44 29 57 40 / 5 5 0 20 ROME 45 26 55 39 / 20 0 0 20 COLUMBUS 53 32 58 43 / 0 5 0 5 MACON 51 30 57 39 / 5 5 0 5 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR BALDWIN...BANKS...BARROW...BARTOW...BIBB...BLECKLEY...BUTTS...CARROLL ...CATOOSA...CHATTAHOOCHEE...CHATTOOGA...CHEROKEE...CLARKE... CLAYTON...COBB...COWETA...CRAWFORD...CRISP...DADE...DEKALB...DODGE... DOOLY...DOUGLAS...EMANUEL...FAYETTE...FLOYD...FORSYTH...GLASCOCK... GORDON...GREENE...GWINNETT...HALL...HANCOCK...HARALSON...HARRIS... HEARD...HENRY...HOUSTON...JACKSON...JASPER...JEFFERSON...JOHNSON... JONES...LAMAR...LAURENS...MACON...MADISON...MARION...MERIWETHER... MONROE...MONTGOMERY ...MORGAN...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...TREUTLEN...TROUP...TWIGGS...UPSON...WALKER... WALTON... WARREN...WASHINGTON...WEBSTER...WHEELER... WHITFIELD...WILCOX...W ILKES...WILKINSON. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR DAWSON...FANNIN... GILMER...LUMPKIN...MURRAY...TOWNS...UNION...WHITE. && 41
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 600 AM EST SAT JAN 14 2006 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-151100- DADE-WALKER-CATOOSA-WHITFIELD-MURRAY-FANNIN-GILMER-UNION-TOWNS- CHATTOOGA-GORDON-PICKENS-DAWSON-LUMPKIN-WHITE-FLOYD-BARTOW- CHEROKEE-FORSYTH-HALL-BANKS-JACKSON-MADISON-POLK-PAULDING-COBB- NORTH FULTON-GWINNETT-BARROW-CLARKE-OCONEE-OGLETHORPE-WILKES- HARALSON-CARROLL-DOUGLAS-SOUTH FULTON-DEKALB-ROCKDALE-WALTON- NEWTON-MORGAN-GREENE-TALIAFERRO-HEARD-COWETA-FAYETTE-CLAYTON- SPALDING-HENRY-BUTTS-JASPER-PUTNAM-HANCOCK-WARREN-TROUP- MERIWETHER-PIKE-UPSON-LAMAR-MONROE-JONES-BALDWIN-WASHINGTON- GLASCOCK-JEFFERSON-HARRIS-TALBOT-TAYLOR-CRAWFORD-BIBB-TWIGGS- WILKINSON-JOHNSON-EMANUEL-MUSCOGEE-CHATTAHOOCHEE-MARION-SCHLEY- MACON-PEACH-HOUSTON-BLECKLEY-LAURENS-TREUTLEN-STEWART-WEBSTER- SUMTER-DOOLY-CRISP-PULASKI-WILCOX-DODGE-TELFAIR-WHEELER- MONTGOMERY-TOOMBS- 600 AM EST SAT JAN 14 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY ...HIGH WINDS EXPECTED ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THROUGH TONIGHT... .SYNOPSIS... GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS IN THE WAKE OF THE STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WENT THROUGH THE AREA FRIDAY WILL BRING COLDER AIR INTO THE STATE TODAY. .PRIMARY HAZARD... THE PRIMARY HAZARD FROM STRONG GUSTY WINDS WILL BE SOME MINOR DAMAGE TO TREES AND UNSECURED OBJECTS SUCH AS SMALL OUT BUILDINGS AND OUTDOOR FURNITURE. HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES...PARTICULARLY THOSE TRAVELING ON NORTH TO SOUTH ROADWAYS WILL BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO STRONG WINDS. .DISCUSSION... VERY STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA TODAY BEHIND THE STRONG COLD FRONT THAT MOVED EAST THROUGH THE STATE FRIDAY. SUNNY SKIES WILL ALLOW WINDS ALOFT TO MIX DOWN TO THE GROUND THROUGH THIS EVENING. WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL RANGE BETWEEN 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 40 TO 45 MPH LIKELY. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL PROBABLY BE IN THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF THE STATE WHERE GUSTS MAY EXCEED 50 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY OTHERWISE...HAZARDOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, January 2006
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: 5492712, 5492713, 5492714.