, with a deep trough extending southward toward the Gulf Coast. A strong polar cold front accompanied the system.
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 deep closed low was sweeping through the Great Lakes into the northeast U.S., with a deep trough extending southward toward the Gulf Coast. A strong polar cold front accompanied the system. Unseasonably cold air was spreading from the northern plains toward the southeast behind the front as a 1036 millibar surface high moved south from Canada. A very unstable air mass was noted ahead of the front across the southeast U.S. However, a complex of thunderstorms which moved east out of central Alabama across central Georgia during the morning hours, greatly stabilized the atmosphere across the area. Consequently, little severe weather was observed despite the strength of the weather systems tracking across the area.
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 5, 8:07 PM EST, 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 907 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 .UPDATE... CONVECTION MOVING INTO WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA AT THIS TIME AND CONVECTION HAS FINALLY STARTED TO DEVELOP FARTHER SOUTH ALONG THE COLD FRONT IN NORTHERN ALABAMA. NO LARGE SCALE UPDATE PLANNED TO THE CURRENT FORECAST AT THIS TIME. MINOR ALTERATIONS ARE POSSIBLE AS UPDATES ARE ISSUED TO MANAGE CURRENT TOR WATCH IN EFFECT FOR EXTREME WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND ANY ADDITIONAL WATCHES THAT MAY BE NEEDED. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 630 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009/ SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... WAITING TO SEE IF CONVECTION DEVELOPS FARTHER SOUTH ALONG THE FRONT. I WILL GO WITH LIKELY POPS FOR MY FORECAST AREA WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. ENOUGH SHEAR AND INSTABILITY FOR THE...A FEW MAY BE SEVERE...PHRASING IN THE ZONES AT LEAST FOR THIS EVENING. NEXT BIG DEAL WILL BE THE WIND...COLD AND POSSIBLE WINTRY PRECIPITATION EXPECTED TO SWEEP IN BEHIND THIS COLD FRONT. I WILL LEAVE THE WIND ADVISORY UNCHANGED FOR NOW. WIND SPEEDS MAY REACH HIGH WIND WARNING CRITERIA DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING MONDAY...ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTH. MUCH COLDER AIRMASS MOVING INTO THE REGION FOR MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. STRONGER WINDS...CLOUDS AND RESIDUAL VERY LOW LEVEL MOISTURE MAY KEEP THE MAJORITY OF THE AREA FROM DROPPING BELOW FREEZING FOR ANY EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME MONDAY NIGHT...BUT PARTIAL CLEARING AND DIMINISHING WINDS TUESDAY NIGHT MAY LEAVE THE MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST AREA VULNERABLE TO A LATE SEASON FREEZE. STRONG COLD ADVECTION AND WRAP AROUND MOISTURE FROM A DEEPENING LOW OVER THE NORTHEAST U.S. ALSO HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BRING A BIT OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION TO NORTH GEORGIA MONDAY NIGHT. THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH MOISTURE AND MID LEVEL INSTABILITY FOR SOME ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS FROM ROUGHLY THE ATLANTA METRO AREA NORTHWARD MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY. WITH THE STRONG COLD ADVECTION AND VERY COLD 85OMB TEMPERATURES THERE SHOULD BE AT LEAST A MIXTURE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS LATE MONDAY INTO EARLY TUESDAY. PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS APPEAR TO REMAIN LIGHT WITH LITTLE OR ACCUMULATION EXPECTED OUTSIDE OF THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS... WHERE AROUND A HALF INCH OR SO OF ACCUMULATION SEEMS POSSIBLE. THIS IS BELOW WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY LEVELS...BUT A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED TO ADDRESS THIS UNUSUAL LATE SEASON EVENT. LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD STARTS OUT WITH TEMPERATURES MODERATING TOWARD MORE SEASONAL NORMS AS THE NORTHWESTERLY UPPER LEVEL FLOW QUICKLY FLATTENS AND THEN TURNS SOUTHWESTERLY AHEAD OF ANOTHER QUICK MOVING UPPER TROUGH. THIS SYSTEM SWEEP QUICKLY INTO THE OHIO VALLEY AND DRAGS ANOTHER COLD FRONT THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. FIRE WEATHER... STRONG WINDS MONDAY AND TUESDAY WILL MEET WIND SPEED CRITERIA FOR RED FLAG CONDITIONS...BUT FUEL MOISTURES ARE LIKELY TO REMAIN TOO HIGH FOR THE ISSUANCE OF A RED FLAG WARNING AT THIS TIME. HYDROLOGY... ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION TONIGHT IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE ENOUGH TO CAUSE WIDESPREAD FLOODING PROBLEMS. HOWEVER...ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OVER CENTRAL GEORGIA MAY AGGRAVATE CURRENT RIVER FLOODING. AVIATION... MAIN CONCERN FOR AVIATION THROUGH TONIGHT IS PASSAGE OF COLD FRONT AND TIMING OT SHRA/TSRA. FROPA EXPECTED BY 06Z-07Z...WITH SHRA/TSRA PRECEDING FRONT...BY 02-03Z FOR ATL TAF SITES...EARLIER FOR CSG. ANOTHER CONCERN IS MOISTURE POOLING JUST NORTH OF WARM FRONT/MESO-LOW IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA. THIS FEATURE IS CAUSING IFR VSBYS/CIGS ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL ALABAMA AT THE MOMENT. AS MOISTURE TONGUE PUSHES NE THIS EVENING...IFR CONDITIONS MAY BE POSSIBLE FOR ATL TAF SITES...EVEN BEFORE PRECIP ARRIVES. WINDS EXPECTED TO REMAIN GENERALLY SE UNTIL FRONT DRAWS CLOSER...WITH BRIEF PERIOD OF SW BEFORE FROPA. GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED TO BUILD IN QUICKLY BEHIND FRONT..BY 09-12Z...WITH GUSTS TO 30 KT POSSIBLE AFTER SUNRISE. MVFR CIGS EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY ON MONDAY WITH SIGNIFICANT WRAPAROUND MOISTURE BEHIND THE FRONT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 54 58 32 51 29 / 60 30 20 10 5 ATLANTA 46 52 32 49 29 / 60 20 20 10 5 BLAIRSVILLE 43 48 31 44 25 / 70 30 40 20 10 CARTERSVILLE 45 53 30 50 25 / 70 20 20 20 5 COLUMBUS 51 55 33 53 30 / 60 10 10 5 5 GAINESVILLE 49 53 33 49 30 / 60 30 30 20 10 MACON 53 60 34 55 28 / 60 20 10 5 5 ROME 44 54 31 50 26 / 70 20 30 20 10 PEACHTREE CITY 46 53 31 50 26 / 60 10 20 5 5 VIDALIA 63 67 37 57 30 / 60 30 10 10 5 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM 2 AM MONDAY TO 2 AM EDT TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: 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. TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 2 AM EDT MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: CHATTAHOOCHEE...HARRIS...MARION...MERIWETHER...MUSCOGEE... STEWART...TALBOT...TROUP...WEBSTER. && 20
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 535 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-061530- 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- 535 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. .SYNOPSIS... A STRONG SPRING STORM SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO DEEPEN AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. AS IT MOVES INTO THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY...A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ALONG WITH CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. .DISCUSSION... GULF MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD OVER THE REGION. AS THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THIS EVENING...THE ATMOSPHERE ACROSS GEORGIA WILL DESTABILIZE. CAPES WILL INCREASE TO 1000 TO 1500 WITH LIFTED INDEX VALUES DECREASING TO AROUND -5. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE BEGINNING EARLY THIS EVENING OVER WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND SPREADING EAST THROUGH THE EVENING INTO THE EARLY MORNING ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA. AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES BY LATE THIS EVENING...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT...ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY STRONG GUSTY WINDS WILL OCCUR MONDAY AND TUESDAY. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE WINDS SEE THE LATEST WIND ADVISORY STATEMENT. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR ACTIVATION...ESPECIALLY THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 422 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>037-041>049-052>055-057-060830- 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-HARALSON-CARROLL- DOUGLAS-SOUTH FULTON-DEKALB-ROCKDALE-WALTON-NEWTON-MORGAN-HEARD- COWETA-FAYETTE-CLAYTON-HENRY- 422 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 ...WINTRY PRECIPITATION MIX POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING... A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH NORTH GEORGIA TONIGHT USHERING IN VERY COLD AIR FOR THIS LATE IN THE SEASON. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THE DAY TUESDAY. IT WILL BE COLD ENOUGH FOR THESE SHOWERS TO BECOME MIXED WITH SNOW MONDAY NIGHT ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTH GEORGIA...MAINLY FROM THE ATLANTA METROPOLITAN AREA TO ATHENS AND NORTHWARD. TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN QUITE MILD RECENTLY AND THE GROUND IS FAIRLY WARM...SO MOST AREAS SHOULD NOT SEE ANY SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW OTHER THAN A DUSTING ON GRASSY SURFACES. IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS UP TO A HALF INCH OF SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR LATER UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 901 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 GAZ078-089-060130- 901 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR PEA SIZED HAIL AND 45 MPH WINDS IN NORTHERN MUSCOGEE AND HARRIS COUNTIES UNTIL 930 PM EDT... AT 859 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CENTERED JUST WEST OF LAKE HARDING...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE PEA SIZED HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH AS IT MOVES ACROSS NORTHERN MUSCOGEE AND HARRIS COUNTIES THROUGH 930 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE MULBERRY GROVE...FORTSON...MIDLAND...CATAULA...ELLERSLIE...HAMILTON...PINE MOUNTAIN VALLEY...F.D. ROOSEVELT STATE PARK...WAVERLY HALL AND SHILOH.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 921 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 GAZ067-079-060145- 921 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR PEA SIZED HAIL AND 40 MPH WINDS IN TALBOT AND MERIWETHER COUNTIES UNTIL 945 PM EDT... AT 920 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CENTERED 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF HAMILTON...MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 50 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 TALBOT AND MERIWETHER COUNTIES THROUGH 945 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE DURAND...FLINT HILL...HARRIS CITY... WARM SPRINGS...WOODLAND...RALEIGH...MANCHESTER...WOODBURY AND PLEASANT HILL. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT. CONTINUE TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...WEATHER.GOV OR OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS ON THESE STORMS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 940 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 GAZ067>069-060215- 940 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR PEA SIZED HAIL AND 40 MPH WINDS IN UPSON...PIKE AND MERIWETHER COUNTIES UNTIL 1015 PM EDT... AT 939 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CENTERED NEAR RALEIGH...MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 50 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 UPSON...PIKE AND MERIWETHER COUNTIES THROUGH 1015 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE HARRIS CITY...WARM SPRINGS...RALEIGH...WOODBURY...CREST...IMLAC...MOLENA...CONCORD... HANNAHS MILL...ATWATER...HILLTOP...LIFSEY SPRINGS...ZEBULON AND MEANSVILLE. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA UNTIL 200 AM EDT. CONTINUE TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...WEATHER.GOV OR OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS ON THESE STORMS.
The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 43 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:59 UTC.
2 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
The Pike County Journal and Reporter of Zebulon reported that lightning struck a group of 16 cows lying down near a tree at a dairy farm on Kings Road near Meansville. All of the cows were dead at the scene.
An amateur radio operator relayed a report of nickel-sized hail in the northeast part of the county near the Spalding county line.
A deputy with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office observed penny, possibly larger-sized hail around Forsyth. Radar data suggests that penny-sized was probably the largest hail size with this thunderstorm, although nickel-sized hail was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, April 2009
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: 168245, 162031, 162032.