Increasingly dry conditions were noted during the first part of March. Rainfall, for the first time in many months, was beginning to fall below normal values.
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.
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.
Increasingly dry conditions were noted during the first part of March. Rainfall, for the first time in many months, was beginning to fall below normal values. The frequent rains of the winter were coming less often as colder, drier conditions had dominated much of late February and into early March. A week of warm temperatures and low relative humidity helped fuel two human-caused wildfires during the first part of March.
One wildfire occurred on March 7th in the Anna Ruby Falls area of White County in the northeast Georgia mountains. This fire burned 17.3 acres during a 7-hour period and resulted in $10,000 in damages. The other wildfire occurred in the Union Hill area of the Oconee National Forest in Putnam county of east central Georgia. This fire burned 4.3 acres during a 3-hour period and resulted in $900 in damages.
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 Mar 7, 2:52 PM EST, 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 252 PM EST SUN MAR 7 2010 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... THE UPPER RIDGE OVER THE CENTRAL U.S. IS FORECAST TO SHIFT EAST THROUGH THE PERIOD...REACHING THE EAST COAST BY TUESDAY AS A DEEP UPPER LOW MOVES INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. SURFACE RIDGE THAT HAS DOMINATED THE EASTERN U.S. OVER THE WEEKEND WEAKENS AS WELL AND SHIFTS OFF THE EAST COAST BY LATE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. MAY BE ENOUGH MOISTURE RETURN AHEAD OF THIS NEXT SYSTEM FOR RAIN CHANCES AS EARLY AS DAYTIME TUESDAY. .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... IF THE GFS TRENDS FOR THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD ARE ACCURATE... OUR LITTLE TOUCH OF SPRING WE HAVE BEEN ENJOYING MAY BE SHORT LIVED. THE UPPER LOW OVER THE CENTRAL U.S. IS FORECAST TO SLOWLY SHIFT EAST THROUGH THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD. SOUTHWEST FLOW AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM ALLOWS PLENTY OF MOISTURE TO SPREAD OVER THE REGION. BEST CHANCES FOR SIGNIFICANT RAIN APPEAR TO BE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY AS A FAIRLY STRONG SHORTWAVE SWEEPS INTO THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND WESTERN TENNESSEE VALLEY UNDER THE NEARLY STATIONARY UPPER LOW. INSTABILITY IS PROGGED TO BE AT LEAST MARGINAL FOR SCATTERED THUNDER BUT IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT ALL OF THE INGREDIENTS WILL BE IN PLACE FOR ANY WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER AT THIS TIME. BY THE END OF THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD...THE GFS PARKS THE HUGE UPPER LOW AND ASSOCIATED STRONG SURFACE LOW OVER THE EASTERN U.S. WITH STRONG NORTHWEST FLOW OVER GEORGIA. THE ECMWF IS A BIT MORE PROGRESSIVE WITH THIS SYSTEM BUT BOTH SHOW COOLER WEATHER BACK IN THE PICTURE BY NEXT WEEKEND. && .FIRE WEATHER... RED FLAG HUMIDITIES ONCE AGAIN OCCURRING OVER NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON. MONDAY WILL SEE A SLOW INCREASE IN LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...BUT THE SOUTHERN TWO THIRDS OF THE FORECAST AREA IS LIKELY TO SEE AT LEAST 4 HOURS OF RED FLAG LEVEL HUMIDITIES AS TEMPERATURES ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO BE A BIT HIGHER. NORTHERN THIRD WILL BE BORDERLINE...BUT I DO NOT EXPECT DURATIONS TO QUITE MAKE IT UP THERE. MID SHIFT WILL NEED TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT THIS AREA FOR POSSIBLE EXPANSION OF THE RED FLAG WARNING NORTHWARD. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 34 70 42 64 45 / 0 0 0 10 30 ATLANTA 37 69 45 62 47 / 0 0 0 20 30 BLAIRSVILLE 31 65 40 61 43 / 5 0 0 20 40 CARTERSVILLE 30 69 40 63 45 / 0 0 5 30 40 COLUMBUS 37 71 45 64 50 / 0 0 5 20 40 GAINESVILLE 36 68 44 62 45 / 0 0 0 20 30 MACON 34 72 44 65 50 / 0 0 0 10 30 ROME 31 68 41 63 45 / 0 0 5 30 40 PEACHTREE CITY 32 69 40 63 46 / 0 0 0 20 40 VIDALIA 39 73 45 69 52 / 0 0 0 5 20 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM EST THIS EVENING 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. RED FLAG WARNING FROM NOON TO 7 PM EST MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BALDWIN...BANKS...BARROW...BIBB...BLECKLEY...BUTTS... CARROLL...CHATTAHOOCHEE...CLARKE...CLAYTON...COBB...COWETA... CRAWFORD...CRISP...DEKALB...DODGE...DOOLY...DOUGLAS...EMANUEL... FAYETTE...FORSYTH...GLASCOCK...GREENE...GWINNETT...HALL... HANCOCK...HARALSON...HARRIS...HEARD...HENRY...HOUSTON... JACKSON...JASPER...JEFFERSON...JOHNSON...JONES...LAMAR... LAURENS...MACON...MADISON...MARION...MERIWETHER...MONROE... MONTGOMERY...MORGAN...MUSCOGEE...NEWTON...NORTH FULTON... OCONEE...OGLETHORPE...PAULDING...PEACH...PIKE...PULASKI... PUTNAM...ROCKDALE...SCHLEY...SOUTH FULTON...SPALDING...STEWART... SUMTER...TALBOT...TALIAFERRO...TAYLOR...TELFAIR...TOOMBS... TREUTLEN...TROUP...TWIGGS...UPSON...WALTON...WARREN... WASHINGTON...WEBSTER...WHEELER...WILCOX...WILKES...WILKINSON. && 20
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 624 AM EST SUN MAR 7 2010 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-081130- 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- 624 AM EST SUN MAR 7 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OVER NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS MORNING INTO THIS EVENING FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES. .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THE WEATHER FOR GEORGIA TODAY THROUGH MONDAY. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARD WILL BE DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS DUE TO LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AND LOW FUEL MOISTURE LEVELS. .DISCUSSION... VERY DRY AND/OR WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED LATER THIS MORNING INTO THIS EVENING. HUMIDITY VALUES WILL FALL TO AS LOW AS 15 TO 20 PERCENT. THE DRY AIR AND LOW FUEL MOISTURE VALUES WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR CENTRAL AND PARTS OF NORTH GEORGIA. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY FOR MUCH OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND ALSO POSSIBLE FOR NORTH GEORGIA AGAIN ON FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The Georgia Forestry Commission reported that a human-caused wildfire in the Anna Ruby Falls area of White county burned 17.3 acres during a 7-hour period and resulted in $10,000 in damages.
The Georgia Forestry Commission reported that a human-caused wildfire in the Union Hill area of the Oconee National Forest in Putnam county burned 4.3 acres during a 3-hour period and resulted in $900 in damages.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, March 2010
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: 222228, 222229.