S. However, the air mass in place was considerably more stable than what was usually in place with the April systems and had been unable to fully recover from the system that brought the historical tornado outbreak to the area less than one week prior.
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 upper trough and a seasonably strong cold front was sweeping through the southeast U.S. However, the air mass in place was considerably more stable than what was usually in place with the April systems and had been unable to fully recover from the system that brought the historical tornado outbreak to the area less than one week prior. Nonetheless, dynamics were sufficiently strong to support isolated strong to severe thunderstorms, mostly in the form of hail.
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 May 3, 2:38 PM EST, 38 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 338 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 2011 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... CURRENT SATELLITE LOOP SHOWS LARGE MOISTURE PLUME EXTENDING FROM THE NEW ENGLAND STATES DOWN TO THE LA GULF COAST. THIS PLUME IS ASSOCIATED WITH A FRONTAL SYSTEM THAT IS EXPECTED TO SWEEP ACROSS THE EASTERN SEABOARD TONIGHT THROUGH THU EVENING. THE PORTION OF THE FRONT THAT SWEEPS THROUGH GA HAS ALREADY ENTERED NW GA BRINGING SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REGION. THIS FRONT SHOULD BE EAST OF OUR CWA BY 12Z WED. ALL IN ALL NOT EXPECTING MUCH MORE THAN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM OR TWO WITH THIS FRONT. THE ACTUAL FRONT IS A GOOD DISTANCE AHEAD OF THE BEST MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY...AND THE MAIN LOW LEVEL JET STAYS WELL NORTH OF THE AREA. THINGS JUST DO NOT LINE UP WELL WITH THIS SYSTEM SO NOT EXPECTING ANYTHING LIKE LAST WEDNESDAY. MAINLY EXPECTING GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...AND LIGHTNING WITH ANY STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP. ONCE THIS FRONT MOVES THROUGH...A LARGE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE BUILDS INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PLAINS WED AND CONTINUE ACROSS THE STATE THROUGH THE SHORT TERM. THE BIGGEST CONCERN WITH THIS FRONT IS THE VERY COLD AIRMASS IT WILL USHER IN WED/THU. LOOKING AT DAYTIME HIGHS WED IN THE 60S AND 70S WITH THU MORNING LOWS IN THE 30S AND 40S. SOME AREAS ACROSS THE N GA MOUNTAINS MAY SEE NEAR FREEZING TEMPS THU MORNING. THE TEMPS WILL REBOUND QUICKLY WITH DAY TIME HIGHS IN THE 70S THU...TO NEAR 80 ON FRI. .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE CONTINUES OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE LONG TERM BUT IT DOES WEAKEN SOME AS A SHORTWAVE TRIES TO PUSH INTO N GA FRI. THE MODELS SHOW THE RIDGE WILL STILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO KEEP THIS SHORTWAVE N OF THE AREA BUT EXTREME N GA MAY SEE SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS PUSH IN DURING THE DAY FRI. THE RIDGE GETS REINFORCED BY ANOTHER RIDGE BUILDING IN FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS FRI NIGHT AND THE RIDGE BECOMES CENTERED OVER GA BY 12Z SAT. THIS SECOND RIDGE SHOULD KEEP GA DRY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. TEMPS SHOULD BE NEAR SEASONAL NORMS THROUGH THE EXTENDED. && AVIATION... 18Z TAF... LINE OF SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS CURRENTLY MOVING INTO NW GEORGIA. FRONT SHOULD CONTINUE TO PUSH EASTWARD THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MOSTLY MVFR CEILINGS AND SHOWERS BEHIND THE FRONT. WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE FRONT...HARD TO TELL WHICH TAF SITES WILL ACTUALLY HAVE THUNDER. FOR NOW HAVE GONE WITH CB AT ALL SITES AND WILL ADD TEMPO THUNDER AS NEEDED. IMPROVING CEILINGS OVERNIGHT. GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS BECOMING GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE. //ATL CONFIDENCE... 18Z UPDATE... MEDIUM ON ALL ELEMENTS. 41 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 49 72 41 73 / 60 0 0 0 ATLANTA 48 68 44 72 / 50 0 0 0 BLAIRSVILLE 47 67 36 69 / 60 0 0 0 CARTERSVILLE 44 67 37 73 / 50 0 0 0 COLUMBUS 50 73 44 76 / 30 0 0 0 GAINESVILLE 49 69 43 70 / 60 0 0 0 MACON 49 76 40 76 / 60 0 0 0 ROME 44 69 37 73 / 50 0 0 0 PEACHTREE CITY 43 70 36 73 / 40 0 0 0 VIDALIA 57 76 47 76 / 60 0 0 0 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 01
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1123 AM EDT TUE MAY 3 2011 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-041530- 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- 1123 AM EDT TUE MAY 3 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE. .SYNOPSIS... A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STRONG HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE STATE TONIGHT. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARDS FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS COULD PRODUCE NICKEL TO QUARTER SIZED HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS...MAINLY BETWEEN NOON AND 10 PM THIS EVENING. .DISCUSSION... AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE STATE...INSTABILITY WILL INCREASE. CAPES WILL INCREASE TO 600 TO 1000 AND LIFTED INDICES WILL FALL TO -2 TO -4. THE MAIN ENERGY OF THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL BE WELL NORTH OF GEORGIA...AND WHILE ISOLATED STORMS COULD REACH MINIMAL SEVERE LEVELS...WIDESPREAD SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA SUNDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED ON THE REMAINING DAYS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER 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 415 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 2011 GAZ033-044-045-055-032045- 415 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NICKEL SIZED HAIL AND 45 MPH WINDS IN DEKALB...CLAYTON AND FULTON COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM EDT... AT 413 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM AROUND KIRKWOOD TO FOREST PARK...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE NICKEL SIZED HAIL... FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH AS THEY MOVE ACROSS DEKALB...CLAYTON AND FULTON COUNTIES THROUGH 445 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE BANKHEAD... VIRGINIA HIGHLAND...WEST END...SWEET AUBURN...ATLANTIC STATION... LAKEWOOD PARK...PIEDMONT PARK...GRANT PARK-ZOO ATLANTA...TURNER FIELD...MIDTOWN...HAPEVILLE...ATLANTA...LAKE CITY...MORROW AND RIVERDALE. HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE ISSUED FOR WINDS UP TO 50 MPH... HAIL LESS THAN THE SIZE OF QUARTERS...OR SIGNIFICANT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING.
The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 44 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:16 UTC.
2 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The public observed penny to nickel-sized hail in the southwest and west central part of the county near East Lake and Decatur.
The Laurens County 911 Center observed golf ball-sized hail. WSR-88D radar data suggests that quarter to golf ball-sized hail likely fell from just southwest of Dublin near Harlow to just northeast of East Dublin.
The Laurens County 911 Center reported that a tree was down on Georgia Highway 19 just south of Dublin. The tree fell on and caused damage to a house and a vehicle.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, May 2011
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: 309604, 309605, 309608.