S. The trough was forcing the strong subtropical ridge to back to the west toward Texas and allowing an unusual summer cold front to approach Georgia from the north.
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.
Yet another strong upper trough was beginning to take shape in the northeast U.S. The trough was forcing the strong subtropical ridge to back to the west toward Texas and allowing an unusual summer cold front to approach Georgia from the north. Increasing instability and dynamics lead to increased thunderstorm development during the afternoon from that seen during the previous few days. Most of the activity was concentrated across central Georgia where a weak surface boundary remained in place.
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 Aug 6, 2:55 PM EST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 355 PM EDT WED AUG 6 2008 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... CURRENT SATELLITE LOOP SHOWS DEVELOPING CU FIELD OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN STATES. NORTHWEST FLOW IS USHERING MOISTURE INTO THE REGION AHEAD OF A SURFACE BOUNDARY THAT WILL CONTINUE TO SAG SOUTHWARD NEAR NORTH GA TONIGHT. MODELS FAIRLY CONSISTENT WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE BOUNDARY THROUGH THE STATE ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...AND INTO NORTHERN FL SATURDAY. GOOD MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH WILL FUEL DIURNALLY DRIVEN CONVECTION THROUGH THE SHORT TERM. THE BEST CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION EXIST ACROSS THE STATE THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH A SHIFT OF POPS TO THE SOUTH FRIDAY. POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE STORMS ACROSS MUCH OF THE CWA FOR THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THURSDAY NIGHT AS INDICATED BY SPC. HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS WILL BUILD SOUTHEASTWARD INTO THE MID ATLANTIC STATES SATURDAY...BRINGING DRIER CONDITIONS TO THE AREA. TEMPERATURES THURSDAY WILL REMAIN BETWEEN FIVE AND TEN DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...WHILE THE INFLUENCE OF THE SURFACE BOUNDARY WILL KEEP DAILY HIGHS NEAR NORMAL ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL DIP DOWN LOW ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE CWA FROM MEETING ADVISORY CRITERIA. .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... MODELS FAIRLY CONSISTENT WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE OVER THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY BY MONDAY...BRINGING DRIER CONDITIONS TO THE AREA. BY TUESDAY THE MODELS INTRODUCE A SURFACE LOW OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO USHER MOISTURE BACK INTO THE SOUTHEAST BY WEDNESDAY. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTING TO REMAIN NEAR NORMAL ACROSS THE STATE THROUGH TUESDAY. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 73 95 69 86 66 / 10 30 50 30 10 ATLANTA 74 92 70 84 66 / 10 30 50 40 10 BLAIRSVILLE 69 85 64 81 59 / 20 50 50 20 10 CARTERSVILLE 70 90 68 85 61 / 10 50 50 30 10 COLUMBUS 74 96 73 88 69 / 10 30 40 50 20 GAINESVILLE 73 90 67 84 66 / 10 40 60 30 10 MACON 72 96 72 89 67 / 10 30 50 50 20 ROME 73 91 68 88 62 / 20 60 50 20 10 PEACHTREE CITY 69 92 70 85 60 / 10 30 50 50 10 VIDALIA 79 98 75 89 68 / 10 30 50 60 20 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM EDT THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BALDWIN...BIBB...BLECKLEY...CRAWFORD...CRISP...DODGE...DOOLY... EMANUEL...GLASCOCK...GREENE...HANCOCK...HOUSTON...JEFFERSON... JOHNSON...JONES...LAURENS...MACON...MONTGOMERY...OGLETHORPE... PEACH...PULASKI...PUTNAM...SCHLEY...SUMTER...TALIAFERRO... TAYLOR...TELFAIR...TOOMBS...TREUTLEN...TWIGGS...WARREN... WASHINGTON...WHEELER...WILCOX...WILKES...WILKINSON. && 31/07
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 556 AM EDT WED AUG 6 2008 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-071000- 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- 556 AM EDT WED AUG 6 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTH GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HEAT INDICES OF 105 TO 110 ARE EXPECTED OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL GEORGIA TODAY. .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE STATE FROM THE NORTH TODAY...BUT WILL NOT MOVE INTO THE STATE UNTIL THURSDAY. A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH THAT HAS LINGERED OVER THE STATE FOR SEVERAL DAYS WILL CONTINUE TO SIT ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARD WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM THAT DEVELOPS WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. HOWEVER...IN NORTH GEORGIA...NORTH OF A LINE FROM ROUGHLY CEDARTOWN TO ROSWELL TO ATHENS...ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE MAIN THREATS WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. .DISCUSSION... A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE STATE TODAY...BUT WILL REMAIN TO THE NORTH. AS TEMPERATURES INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON...CAPES WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 2000 AND 2500...WITH THE GREATEST INSTABILITY IN CENTRAL GEORGIA. HOWEVER...THERE WILL BE BETTER UPPER-LEVEL SUPPORT...INCLUDING WEAK SHEAR...IN NORTH GEORGIA CLOSER TO THE FRONT. THIS WILL ALLOW THE POSSIBILITY FOR AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM OR TWO IN NORTH GEORGIA...ALTHOUGH THE POSSIBILITY OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CANNOT BE RULED OUT ANYWHERE THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE STRONG INSTABILITY. IN ADDITION...THE HIGH TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH HIGH DEWPOINTS WILL CREATE HEAT INDICES OF 105 TO 110 IN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL GEORGIA...GENERALLY SOUTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM AMERICUS TO MACON TO LEXINGTON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...AND AGAIN ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED BUT SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH THE WEB BY GOING TO WEATHER.GOV/ATLANTA.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 505 PM EDT WED AUG 6 2008 GAZ089-062130- 505 PM EDT WED AUG 6 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR 40 MPH WINDS IN MUSCOGEE COUNTY UNTIL 530 PM EDT... AT 503 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES SOUTH OF MIDLAND...MOVING EAST AT 3 MPH. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE PEA SIZED HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AS IT MOVES ACROSS MUSCOGEE COUNTY THROUGH 530 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE MIDLAND AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF COLUMBUS. BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. LIGHTNING DETECTION SYSTEMS INDICATE NUMEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES ACROSS MUSCOGEE COUNTY...INCLUDING AREAS AROUND MIDLAND. RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA SHOULD STAY INDOORS. ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND TELEPHONES SHOULD NOT BE USED UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 518 PM EDT WED AUG 6 2008 GAZ078-079-062145- 518 PM EDT WED AUG 6 2008 AT 516 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN SHILOH...WAVERLY HALL...GENEVA...AND TALBOTTON. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE NEARLY STATIONARY. THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE PEA SIZED HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AS THEY REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY ACROSS HARRIS AND TALBOT COUNTIES THROUGH 545 PM EDT. BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. LIGHTNING DETECTION SYSTEMS INDICATE NUMEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES ACROSS HARRIS AND TALBOT COUNTIES. RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA SHOULD STAY INDOORS. ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND TELEPHONES SHOULD NOT BE USED UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 544 PM EDT WED AUG 6 2008 GAZ078-062215- 544 PM EDT WED AUG 6 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR 40 MPH WINDS IN HARRIS COUNTY UNTIL 615 PM EDT... AT 541 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER MULBERRY GROVE THE THUNDERSTORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE PEA SIZED HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AS IT MOVES ACROSS HARRIS COUNTY THROUGH 615 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE MULBERRY GROVE...CATAULA...WHITESVILLE...PINE MOUNTAIN VALLEY...WAVERLY HALL AND HAMILTON. BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The Harris County Emergency Management Director reported that a couple of trees were down, one on Holland Road and the other on Hamilton-Mulberry Grove Road.
The Harris County Emergency Management Director reported penny-sized hail.
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, August 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: 131167, 131165.