This was the first significant severe weather outbreak for north and central Georgia within the new year. The pattern was similar to previous strong systems.
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.
This was the first significant severe weather outbreak for north and central Georgia within the new year. The pattern was similar to previous strong systems. Namely, a strong pacific-based cold front associated with a deep closed upper low rotating negatively through the lower Mississippi valley into the Ohio Valley. While this event was a major severe weather outbreak for the western Tennessee Valley region, the timing of the system into Georgia during the early morning hours and the loss of the stronger dynamics as the system lifted to the northwest of the area, resulted in minimal severe weather across north and central Georgia.
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 Feb 6, 5:32 AM EST, 2 hours 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 532 AM EST WED FEB 6 2008 .UPDATE... TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 46 FOR NORTHWEST GEORGIA HAS JUST BEEN ISSUED. IT IS VALID THROUGH 11AM EST. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 530 AM EST WED FEB 6 2008/ SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... CURRENT RADAR/SATELLITE LOOP SHOWS STRONG FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH MS AND INTO AL AT THE MOMENT. THIS FRONT SHOULD BE ENTERING NW GA BY 10-11Z. ALL MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON EVOLUTION OF SYSTEM AND HAVE FINALLY COME INTO GOOD AGREEMENT ON THE TIMING. THE MAIN SURFACE LOW CENTER HAS MOVED NE INTO THE OH RIVER VALLEY AND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING NE THROUGH TONIGHT. AS IT MOVES NORTHEASTWARD IT WILL PULL MOST OF THE BETTER DYNAMICS AND INSTABILITIES WITH IT. THIS WILL ALLOW THE FRONT AS IT REACHES GA TO WEAKEN SOME (AS THE MODELS ARE INDICATING)...BUT IT WILL STILL BE QUITE POTENT. THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE ATL AREA BY 15-16Z...AND CSG-MCN-AGS BY 18Z-00Z. BASICALLY ALL OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA WILL SEE SHRA/TSRA AT SOME POINT IN THE DAY. THERE IS STILL A LOW LEVEL JET (50-60KT AT 850MB) ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE STATE WITH THE COLD FRONT. WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MIXING DOWN SOME OF THESE STRONG WINDS THE MAIN FOCUS TODAY WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUST. AS THIS FRONT ENTERS THE STATE IT WILL ENCOUNTER A WARM MOIST ATMOSPHERE (CURRENT TEMPS IN THE 60S WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE 50S) THAT IS CONDUCIVE TO THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. CAPES EXPECTED IN THE 200-400 RANGE AND LIS OF -1 TO -2 BY 12Z. ALL IN ALL A WEAK SQUALL LINE WILL REACH THE NW PART OF THE CWA 10Z-12Z...CONTINUING TO DIMINISH 12Z-18Z AS IT PROGRESSES TOWARD ATL-AHN...AND THEN REACHING CSG-MCN-AGS IN THE 18Z-00Z. AS THE FRONT CONTINUES EASTWARD THE POTENTIAL REMAINS FOR ACTIVITY TO INCREASE ACROSS SE AREAS DURING THE AFTERNOON/EVENING WITH A MORE FAVORABLE SFC ENVIRONMENT...BUT DECREASING DYNAMICS MAY LIMIT REDEVELOPMENT. WILL CONTINUE WITH THE WIND ADVISORY THROUGH 00Z THU ACROSS NE GA. ONCE THIS SYSTEM FINALLY EXITS THE CWA BY 06Z THU A WEAK RIDGE BEGINS BUILDING IN ACROSS THE REGION. THIS RIDGE KEEPS GA PRECIP FREE THROUGH FRI WITH TEMPS AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE SEASONAL NORMS. LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... THE RIDGE WEAKENS AND MOVES EAST SAT ALLOWING A DRY COLD FRONT TO MOVE SOUTH THROUGH THE STATE. THIS DRY FRONT WILL JUST USHER IN A REINFORCING SHOT OFF COLD AIR FOR THE WEEKEND. A MUCH STRONGER RIDGE BUILDS IN FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS SUN AND DOMINATES THE PATTERN THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. AVIATION... COLD FRONT WITH SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS PUSHING TOWARD GA. SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE THIS MORNING WITH DAMAGING WINDS. EXPECT MVFR CEILINGS THROUGH THE MORNING AS STRONG LOW LEVEL WINDS BRING MOISTURE NORTHWARD INTO THE STATE. SOME LOCAL AREAS OF IFR ARE POSSIBLE UNTIL AROUND 13Z. VISIBILITY GENERALLY 6SM OR GREATER EXCEPT IN SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS. WINDS SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST 10 TO 15KT WITH SOME GUSTS TO 25KT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 67 36 60 35 62 / 100 10 0 0 0 ATLANTA 69 35 54 35 61 / 100 5 0 0 0 BLAIRSVILLE 62 33 54 31 56 / 100 0 0 5 0 CARTERSVILLE 64 35 53 28 59 / 100 0 0 0 0 COLUMBUS 68 36 61 35 66 / 100 5 0 0 0 GAINESVILLE 65 35 55 35 60 / 100 5 0 0 0 MACON 72 36 62 31 66 / 100 20 0 0 0 ROME 61 38 57 30 61 / 100 0 0 5 0 PEACHTREE CITY 67 35 58 31 61 / 100 5 0 0 0 VIDALIA 79 44 64 33 67 / 70 70 0 0 0 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: FANNIN...GILMER...LUMPKIN...TOWNS...UNION...WHITE. && 01
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 725 AM EST WED FEB 6 2008 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-071115- 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- 725 AM EST WED FEB 6 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER NORTHWEST GEORGIA THIS MORNING. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE REMAINDER OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. .SYNOPSIS... STRONG LOW PRESSURE OVER THE OHIO VALLEY WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEASTWARD TODAY...PULLING A COLD FRONT THROUGH GEORGIA. THE FRONT WILL ENTER THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF GEORGIA JUST BEFORE SUNRISE. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ACCOMPANY THE FRONT ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WILL BE ISOLATED TORNADOES...AND STRONG DAMAGING WINDS. .DISCUSSION... SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS ALOFT WILL REMAIN STRONG TODAY AHEAD OF AN UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVING INTO THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THIS WARM MOIST FLOW WILL PROVIDE THE ENVIRONMENT FOR A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHWEST GEORGIA THIS MORNING...AND SPREADING INTO THE STATE DURING THE AFTERNOON. MOST OF THE STRONG DYNAMICS WILL LIFT TO THE NORTH...HOWEVER NORTHWEST GEORGIA WILL BE ON THE SOUTHERN END OF THE MOST UNSTABLE AIR. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING OVER NORTHWEST GEORGIA. THE MOST FAVORABLE AREA FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM BUCHANAN TO CARTERSVILLE TO ELLIJAY TO BLUE RIDGE UNTIL AROUND NOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED FOR THIS MORNING ACROSS NORTHWEST GEORGIA.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
727 AM EST WED FEB 06 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0640 AM TSTM WND DMG 4 W TRENTON 34.87N 85.58W
02/06/2008 DADE GA EMERGENCY MNGR
TWO TREES WERE DOWN NEAR HIGHWAY 136.
&&
MGRIESINThe Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 72 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:37 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Walker County Emergency Manager reported that two trees were down in the Villanow area and a couple more north of Chickamauga.
The Muscogee County 911 Center reported that three trees and a couple of power lines were down on the north side of Green Island Hills near Standing Boy Road and Stillwater Road.
The Butts County Emergency Management Director reported that 10 trees were down across the western part of the county. In addition, a car was blown off an on-ramp while trying to enter Interstate-75 in the far western part of the county.
WMAZ Television of Macon reported that a tin roof was blown off a boat house on Lake Sinclair.
The Americus Times Recorder reported that numerous trees and power lines were down in the eastern part of the county across DeSoto Seed Farm Road, Foster Ball Road, and at the intersection of Georgia Highways 27 and 195.
The Crisp County Emergency Management Director reported that six trees were down in the western part of the county from the Lake Blackshear area west of Coney to the northwest part of the county near Drayton Road. Drayton Road was blocked because of downed trees. One tree was also down on U.S. 41 about one mile north of Cordele.
The public reported that a roof was blown off a barn on Collins Road. The Laurens County 911 Center reported that five trees were down between Dexter and Rentz.
The Dodge County Emergency Management Director reported that a couple of large pecan trees were blown down just south of Eastman. One tree landed on a truck and another on a mobile home causing considerable damage to the property. An amateur radio operator reported that a couple of trees were down off Rock Springs Road south of U.S. Highway 341.
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, February 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: 78359, 78364, 78653, 78650, 82249, 78642, 78604, 78605.