A strong cold front was moving into west Georgia during the afternoon. A weak upper-level disturbance was moving from the mid-south into the mid-Atlantic.
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 episode as NWS FFC wrote it up.
A strong cold front was moving into west Georgia during the afternoon. A weak upper-level disturbance was moving from the mid-south into the mid-Atlantic. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed in advance of the front during the mid and late afternoon hours and continued into the evening hours ahead of the cold front. Instability and dynamics were far less impressive than with previous severe events this spring, but sufficient enough for isolated strong thunderstorms to develop across north Georgia. One persistent cell lingered over the Carroll county area of west central Georgia for over an hour producing penny to golf ball-sized hail.
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 Apr 26, 9:50 AM EST, 2 hours 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1050 AM EDT SAT APR 26 2008 .UPDATE... QUICK UPDATE TO LOWER POPS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST BACK INTO CHANCE CATEGORY FOR THE REST OF THE MORNING. ALSO INCREASED POPS A BIT EXTREME SOUTHEAST WHERE SHOWERS LINGERING. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 530 AM EDT SAT APR 26 2008/ SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH MONDAY/... GFS/CANADIAN/OLD ECMWF IS PROVING TO BE THE FASTER OF THE MODELS ON THE SPEED OF THE COLD FRONT THAT MOVES THROUGH MONDAY. THE NAM/SREF ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH SLOWING THE FRONT DOWN. AM TRENDING TOWARD THE NAM/SREF AS THE GFS IS ALREADY SLOWING ITSELF DOWN FROM YESTERDAYS RUN. FOR TODAY...LINE OF CONVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH A SURFACE COLD FRONT OVER THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL CONTINUE ITS EASTWARD MOVEMENT EARLY THIS MORNING. BY 12Z SAT IT IS PROGGED TO BE FROM MIDDLE TENNESSEE INTO NORTH ALABAMA AND NORTH MISSISSIPPI. IT IS ALSO PROGGED TO WEAKEN AS IT MOVES CLOSER TO GA. NAM/SREF HAS THE MAIN BAND BROKEN UP BY 18Z BUT IN AN AREA FROM THE TN/NC LINE INTO NORTHWEST GA AND BY 00Z TO NEAR A ATL-AHN LINE. THE MAIN PROBLEM WITH THIS IS THAT INSTABILITY PARAMETERS INDICATE SOME OF THESE STORMS...AS THEY REDEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON WITH DAYTIME HEATING...COULD BE SEVERE. MAY MENTION ISOLATED SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS NORTH GA. TONIGHT...THE COLD FRONT WILL STALL ACROSS CENTRAL GA IN AN EAST/WEST ORIENTATION. NAM HAS A SIGNIFICANT S/W MOVING INTO WEST CENTRAL GA BY 12Z SUN WHILE THE SREF HOLDS A WEAKER S/W WELL TO THE WEST OF GA. IN EITHER CASE THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH MOISTURE STILL ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT TO SET OFF A FEW SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY A T-STORMS...MAINLY ALONG AND JUST NORTH OF THE FRONT AND WILL KEEP CHANCE POPS GOING. H5 TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE FRONT BECOMES BETTER ORGANIZED OVER THE PLAINS AND MOVES EAST. AS IT DOES THE STATIONARY FRONT OVER CENTRAL GA WILL MOVE NORTH AS A WARM FRONT SUNDAY MORNING. BOTH THE NAM AND THE SREF SHOW THE FRONT GETTING HUNG UP ON THE MOUNTAINS WITH A SLIGHT WEDGE EFFECT KEEPING THE EXTREME NORTHEAST IN AN EASTERLY SURFACE FLOW. WITH THIS IN MIND THERE COULD BE SOME DECENT OVERRUNNING INCREASING THE CHANCES OF RAIN IN THE MOUNTAINS. AT THIS POINT OTHER THAN THE ISENTROPIC LIFT OVER THE NORTHEAST NOTHING VERY ORGANIZED OVER THE REST OF THE CWA SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND FEEL DAYTIME HEATING WILL INITIATE CONVECTION SUNDAY AFTERNOON JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE IN THE CWA. INSTABILITY INDICES AGAIN INDICATE ISOLATED SEVERE AGAIN. WITH LOW AND MID LEVEL MOISTURE INCREASING SUNDAY CLOUDS SHOULD REMAIN ACROSS MUCH OF THE CWA AND THIS WILL LIMIT SURFACE HEATING...TEMPS SHOULD BE CLOSE TO SATURDAYS HIGHS. SUNDAY NIGHT IS WHERE DIFFERENCES IN THE NAM/SREF AND THE GFS/ECMWF OCCUR. WILL TREND TOWARD THE NAM WITH THE SLOWER SPEED FOR REASONS STATED ABOVE. CONVECTION LEFT OVER FROM DAYTIME HEATING SHOULD DIMINISH BY MIDNIGHT. THE SURFACE FRONT MOVES INTO NORTHWEST GA BY 12Z MON AND THIS WILL BRING A SQUALL LINE INTO THE NORTHWEST AFTER MIDNIGHT AND JUST TO THE WEST AND NORTH OF THE ATL AREA BY 12Z MON. SURFACE FRONT MOVES OUT OF THE CWA BY MONDAY AFTERNOON WITH PRECIP ENDING BEHIND THE FRONT. LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... ECMWF AND GFS IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THE LONG TERM. THROUGH THE FIRST PART OF THE LONG TERM A NORTHWEST FLOW WILL KEEP US DRY AND COOLER THAN THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS. AS A SHORT WAVE RIDGE BUILDS INTO THE CWA TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK...TEMPS WILL MODIFY THROUGH THE WEEK. AT THIS POINT THE LONG TERM LOOKS DRY THROUGH FRIDAY. FIRE WEATHER... ALTHOUGH FUEL MOISTURE WILL LIKELY DROP BELOW 10 PERCENT AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON...RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL REMAIN ABOVE 25 PERCENT AND WINDS WILL REMAIN BELOW 20 MPH BOTH THIS AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THEREFORE FIRE WEATHER WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH SUNDAY. AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS TO START THE MORNING AT ALL LOCATIONS...WITH SCT CI ABOVE 15 KFT. 5-7 KFT LAYER N OF ATL METRO WILL SPREAD SEWARD AND BRING SCT-BKN CONDITIONS THROUGH MID MORNING. STRATUS DECK MOVING EAST INTO EASTERN ALABAMA MAY REACH CSG BY 12Z...AND THE 1500 FOOT LAYER MAY PUSH EAST FROM THERE...THUS WILL KEEP SCT 2 KFT OR SO ELSEWHERE THROUGH AT LEAST 15Z. BY 16Z...SCT CU DEVELOPS AT AROUND 5 KFT. INTRODUCE PROB30 TSRA AFTER 15Z FOR ATL AREA...18Z ELSEWHERE...AS COLD FRONT PUSHING SEWARD ACROSS THE AREA. FRONT SHOULD STALL OVER CENTRAL GEORGIA AFTER SUNSET...BUT WITH LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING...EVEN CSG AND MCN SHOULD BE PRECIP FREE BY 3Z. AFTER THE SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS..AND ASSOCIATED VIS/CIGS REDUCTIONS...PUSH THROUGH...EXPECT MID LEVEL OVC CONDITIONS OVERNIGHT. WINDS OUTSIDE OF ANY TSRA WILL BE GENERALLY SOUTHWEST IN DIRECTION THROUGH AFTERNOON...THEN BECOMING LIGHT AND VARIABLE AS FRONT STALLS ACROSS THE AREA. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 81 61 77 61 68 / 50 40 50 60 60 ATLANTA 78 63 78 60 67 / 60 40 40 70 40 BLAIRSVILLE 73 56 69 56 60 / 60 40 60 80 60 CARTERSVILLE 79 60 76 60 66 / 60 40 50 80 40 COLUMBUS 83 64 82 63 74 / 50 40 30 60 40 GAINESVILLE 78 61 75 59 66 / 60 40 60 70 50 MACON 85 61 84 62 74 / 50 40 30 60 50 ROME 78 60 79 59 65 / 60 40 50 80 40 PEACHTREE CITY 81 59 78 59 68 / 50 40 30 70 40 VIDALIA 85 63 84 63 77 / 40 30 30 40 60 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 49
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1030 AM EDT SAT APR 26 2008 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-271000- 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- 1030 AM EDT SAT APR 26 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED OVER NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWEST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND BECOME STATIONARY ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND LIGHTNING. THE MOST LIKELY LOCATION FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ALONG AND NORTH OF A STEWART COUNTY TO LAURENS COUNTY LINE...THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .DISCUSSION... CAPES WILL BE INCREASING TO 1000 TO 1500 WITH LIFTED INDICES OF MINUS 3 TO MINUS 5. THE APPROACH OF A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL PROVIDE THE LIFT FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP. THIS COMBINED WITH DEW POINTS IN THE LOWER TO MID 60S WILL ALLOW FOR ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY AND MONDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... DUE TO THE ISOLATED NATURE OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY...SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. BDL
The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 22 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:14 UTC.
2 hail, 1 lightning, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Times Herald of Newnan reported that lightning struck on or near the county administrative building rendering the phone system inoperable.
The Newnan Times Herald reported that thunderstorm winds blew a tree down onto a power line knocking power out to the sheriff's office.
Several reports of hail, ranging in size from pennies to half-dollars were received from storm spotters and the public. The public reported that there were a couple of one-minute bursts of penny-sized hail about five miles northeast of Carrollton near Shady Grove Road and McKenzie Bridge Road. A storm spotter observed quarter-sized hail near the intersection of U.S. Highway 27 and Georgia Highway 113 in the Carrollton area and another spotter observed half-dollar-sized hail near the intersection of Georgia Highway 113 and Mote Road, about three miles north-northeast of Carrollton.
A storm spotter reported that hail the size of quarters began at 725 pm EDT on the northwest side of Carrollton and increased to the size of golf balls over a five-minute period. The storm continued to drift and build southwestward with time with penny-sized hail reported one mile southeast of Bowdon at 745 pm. Radar supported that hail of similar size or larger continued until after 800 pm EDT in the southwest part of the county, south of Bowdon and near the Alabama border.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, April 2008
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: 96939, 96945, 95349, 95350.