High Wind, Rabun
- When
- February 10, 10:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
- Where
- Rabun forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 34.882, -83.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind in Georgia, February 10, 2008
As the polar vortex dropped into New England, an unusually tight gradient developed over the mountains of extreme northeast Georgia. This gradient, combined with afternoon heating, helped to mix down areas of strong winds.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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.
What happened
The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.
As the polar vortex dropped into New England, an unusually tight gradient developed over the mountains of extreme northeast Georgia. This gradient, combined with afternoon heating, helped to mix down areas of strong winds. Areas along and east of the Blue Ridge were hardest hit, with numerous trees reported down, some across roads and on homes. The gusty winds combined with ongoing drought conditions to produce brush fires across the area during the afternoon.
What forecasters said that day
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 Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 10, 6:38 AM EST, 3 hours 22 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 10, 6:38 AM EST, 3 hours 22 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
638 AM EST SUN FEB 10 2008
.SYNOPSIS...
A DRY COLD FRONT WILL PUSH EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA...BRINGING
WINDY CONDITIONS TODAY...AS STRONG CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN
ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THIS HIGH WILL DRIFT SOUTHEASTWARD
TOWARD THE REGION ON MONDAY...BEFORE MOVING OFF THE EAST COAST EARLY
TUESDAY. A SERIES OF LOW PRESSURES WILL CROSS THE SOUTHEAST STATES
LATE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.
&&
.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/...
WIND REMAINS THE BIG STORY TODAY. A WEAK WARM FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS
THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING...THEN A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH LATER
IN THE DAY. WINDS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE MTNS EARLY...BUT WILL
TAKE A LITTLE LONGER TO INCREASE OUTSIDE OF THE MTNS. CURRENT SET OF
WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES STILL LOOK GOOD. THE ONLY GLITCH IS TIMING.
DO NOT EXPECT WINDS TO REACH WARNING/ADVISORY LEVELS UNTIL
MID-MORNING WHEN MIXING BEGINS. WITH GOOD MIXING EXPECTED THIS
AFTERNOON OUTSIDE OF THE MTNS...WILL ISSUE A LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR
THE REST OF THE CWFA. MODELS SHOW SOME LOW LEVEL MOISTURE MOVING
INTO THE MTNS TODAY...BUT NO PRECIP EXPECTED. HIGHS WILL BE TRICKY
WITH CAA OFFSET BY LOTS OF SUNSHINE AND DOWNSLOPE WINDS. HAVE GONE
WITH A MODEL BLEND RESULTING IN SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL HIGHS FOR THE
MTNS AND 5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL ELSEWHERE.
&&
.SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AS OF 300 AM SUNDAY...THE MODELS SHOW ZONAL FLOW OVER THE SOUTHERN
APPALACHIANS FOR SUNDAY NIGHT TO THE SOUTH OF A CLOSED LOW NEAR THE
CANADIAN BORDER. A WEAK IMPULSE MOVES OVER OUR AREA MONDAY NIGHT
WHILE AN UPPER RIDGE AMPLIFIES ALONG THE EAST COAST IN RESPONSE TO
A DIGGING TROUGH OVER THE PLAINS. BY TUESDAY ENERGY LIFTING OUT OF
THIS TROUGH REACHES THE MOUNTAINS.
AT THE SURFACE...A COLD AIR MASS MOVES INTO THE AREA FROM THE
NORTHWEST SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BEGINS TO
RELAX LATE SUNDAY NIGHT...BUT 850 MB WINDS REMAIN STRONG UNTIL DAWN.
DOWNWARD VERTICAL MOTION DECREASES SUBSTANTIALLY AFTER MIDNIGHT...
AND IT APPEARS THAT HIGH WIND WARNING CRITERIA WILL BE MET AFTER
MIDNIGHT...THEREFORE NO CHANGES TO THE EXISTING WIND PRODUCTS WILL
BE MADE AT THIS POINT.
MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES MONDAY WILL STRUGGLE INTO THE LOWER 40S ALONG
THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR...WHILE VALUES IN THE UPPER SAVANNAH
RIVER VALLEY BARELY REACH NORMAL. GULF MOISTURE AHEAD OF AN
ADVANCING COLD FRONT STREAMS NORTH TOWARD OUR AREA MONDAY NIGHT.
INCREASING CLOUD COVER MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO KEEP MINIMUM
TEMPERATURES ABOVE FREEZING...EVEN IN THE UPPER SAVANNAH RIVER
VALLEY. MODEL POPS GENERALLY SUPPORT A SLIGHT CHANCE OF
PRECIPITATION FROM ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE...WHICH MAY OVERCOME DRY AIR
IN THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE...AND AN HOUR OR TWO OF FREEZING RAIN IS
POSSIBLE FROM TOCCOA TO ELBERTON. MODEL SOUNDINGS ARE MORE
SUPPORTIVE OF SNOW IN THE SOUTHERN NC MOUNTAINS AND RABUN CO GA. BY
MID MORNING...MODEL SOUNDINGS WOULD CHANGE PRECIPITATION OVER TO ALL
RAIN. BY AFTERNOON POPS INCREASE TO THE HIGH END OF CHANCE...AND
PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BE OF A SHOWERY NATURE AS THE FRONT
APPROACHES AND WARM ADVECTION RAISES TEMPERATURES TO NEAR SEASONAL
NORMALS.
&&
.LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...
AS OF 3 AM SUNDAY...BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF HAVE THE COLD FRONT
APPROACHING OUR FORECAST AREA FROM THE WEST TUESDAY EVENING WITH
CHANCES OF SHOWERS INCREASING. THE GFS HAS A DEEPER UPPER TROUGH
MOVING WEST TO EAST ACROSS TENNESSEE EARLY WEDNESDAY WITH THE
PRECEDING SURFACE FRONT MOVING FASTER ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS.
THE ECMWF HOLDS SOME MOISTURE OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS INTO LATE
WEDNESDAY WHILE THE GFS DRIES US OUT RAPIDLY.
BOTH MODELS MOVE HIGH PRESSURE FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE EASTERN
STATES FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY. DRY WEATHER WILL
PREVAIL UNTIL FRIDAY WHEN THE CENTER OF THE HIGH MOVES OFF THE
CAROLINA COAST EARLY IN THE DAY AS ANOTHER FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE
WEST. PRECIP HAS A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS AS
IT FADES OUT. AFTER THE FRONT STALLS OUT JUST SOUTH AND EAST OF OUR
AREA...THE FOCUS SHIFTS TO A DEVELOPING LOW NEAR EAST TEXAS EARLY
SATURDAY. THAT MOVES NORTHEAST SPREADING MOISTURE INTO OUR AREA
SATURDAY NIGHT. THE CONCERN AT THIS POINT IS WHERE WILL THE CENTER
OF THE HIGH PRESSURE BE AS IT MAY BE CONFIGURED TO PUMP IN COOL DRY
AIR FROM THE NORTHEAST AS THE LOW MOVES IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST.
HOPEFULLY WE WILL NOT HAVE AN ICY WINTRY MESS TO END THE WEEKEND.
&&
.AVIATION /12Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
WINDS REMAIN THE BIG CONCERN THIS TAF PERIOD. LIGHT SOUTHWEST WINDS
WILL BECOME WESTERLY AND GUSTY...NW AT KAVL...WITH MIXING BETWEEN
13Z AND 15Z THIS MORNING. ALTHOUGH THERE WILL BE LITTLE CHANGE IN
DIRECTION...WIND SPEEDS AND GUSTS WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY
BETWEEN 16Z AND 19Z WHEN DEEPER MIXING...DOWNWARD OMEGA AND CAA HELP
BRING STRONGER WINDS THE THE SFC. STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE AT KAVL
AND KHKY. HAVE GONE 20G30KT AT BOTH LOCATIONS...BUT CANNOT RULE OUT
WINDS TO 25G35KT AT KAVL. WILL BE SOME VFR CLOUDS THIS AFTERNOON AT
KAVL...BUT CIGS NOT EXPECTED. WINDS SHIFT A FEW DEGREES AND DIMINISH
BUT REMAIN GUSTY THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG INTO THE
EVENING AT KAVL. WINDS FINALLY BECOME LIGHT NEAR 06Z...BUT MOVE TO A
NORTHERLY DIRECTION. KAVL IS THE EXCEPTION AS USUAL. WINDS THERE
WILL REMAIN NEAR 14G24KT MOST OF THE NIGHT.
AVIATION OUTLOOK...MAINLY DRY WX CONDITIONS AND LIGHT WINDS ARE
EXPECTED MONDAY...WITH SHOWER CHANCES INCREASING ON TUESDAY AND
CONTINUING INTO WEDNESDAY. DRY WX LOOKS TO RETURN FOR THURSDAY.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
AS OF 300 AM SUNDAY...LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WITH THE FRONT WILL KEEP
DEW POINTS FROM FALLING AS MUCH TODAY AS PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED...
HOWEVER RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL EASILY FALL TO RED FLAG
CRITERIA...AND RED FLAG WIND CRITERIA SHOULD BE MET AS WELL. THE RED
FLAG WARNING FOR THE ENTIRE AREA WILL STAND.
ON MONDAY WIND WILL BE QUITE LIGHT AS THE GRADIENT RELAXES...BUT
RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL MEET RED FLAG CRITERIA IN NORTHEAST
GA...AND A FIRE WEATHER WATCH WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THERE.
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR GAZ010-017-
018-026-028-029.
LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR GAZ010-017-
018-026-028-029.
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY EVENING
FOR GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029.
NC...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 1 AM EST MONDAY FOR NCZ033-049-050-501-
503-505.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR NCZ033-
035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-068>072-082-501>510.
LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR NCZ036-037-
056-057-068>072-082.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 1 AM EST MONDAY FOR NCZ048-051>053-058-059-
062>065-507-509.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 1 AM EST MONDAY FOR NCZ035-502-504-506-508-
510.
SC...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR SCZ001>014-
019.
LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR SCZ001>014-
019.
&&
SYNOPSIS...DEO
NEAR TERM...RWH
SHORT TERM...JAT
LONG TERM...DEO
AVIATION...RWH
FIRE WEATHER...JATHazardous weather outlook, Feb 10, 5:42 AM EST, 4 hours 18 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 542 AM EST SUN FEB 10 2008 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-111045- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT- 542 AM EST SUN FEB 10 2008 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM EST THIS EVENING... ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM EST THIS EVENING... ...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. RED FLAG WARNING. LAKE WIND ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FIRE WEATHER WATCH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ033-049-050-501-503-505-111045- AVERY-YANCEY-MITCHELL-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-BURKE MOUNTAINS- MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS- 542 AM EST SUN FEB 10 2008 ...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST MONDAY... ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. HIGH WIND WARNING. RED FLAG WARNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ036-037-056-057-068>072-082-SCZ001>014-019-111045- IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG- CABARRUS-UNION NC-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS- GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS- GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE- LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 542 AM EST SUN FEB 10 2008 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM EST THIS EVENING... ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. RED FLAG WARNING. LAKE WIND ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ048-051>053-058-059-062>065-507-509-111045- MADISON-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON- SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS- POLK MOUNTAINS- 542 AM EST SUN FEB 10 2008 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST MONDAY... ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WIND ADVISORY. RED FLAG WARNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ035-502-504-506-508-510-111045- ALEXANDER-GREATER CALDWELL-GREATER BURKE-EASTERN MCDOWELL- GREATER RUTHERFORD-EASTERN POLK- 542 AM EST SUN FEB 10 2008 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST MONDAY... ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WIND ADVISORY. RED FLAG WARNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. 07
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, Habersham
- When
- February 10, 10:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
- Where
- Habersham forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 34.631, -83.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, February 10, 2008
- Winter Weather in New York, February 10, 2008
- Blizzard in Michigan, February 10, 2008
- Strong Wind in Pennsylvania, February 10, 2008
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Michigan, February 10 to 11, 2008
- Strong Wind in North Carolina, February 10, 2008
- High Wind in Virginia, February 10, 2008
- High Wind and Strong Wind in New Jersey, February 10 to 11, 2008
- High Wind and Strong Wind in Virginia, February 10, 2008
- High Wind and Strong Wind in Maryland, February 10, 2008
- High Wind in West Virginia, February 10, 2008
- High Wind in Pennsylvania, February 10, 2008
More
Every storm in Georgia in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, February 2008
Sources
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: 79197, 79198.