Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon and evening hours of April 3rd along the remnants of a weak boundary that stretched north to south across eastern Georgia. As a weak upper level disturbance moved across by mid-afternoon, a couple of the storms were able to strengthen to severe levels, with mainly large hail reported.
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.
Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon and evening hours of April 3rd along the remnants of a weak boundary that stretched north to south across eastern Georgia. As a weak upper level disturbance moved across by mid-afternoon, a couple of the storms were able to strengthen to severe levels, with mainly large hail reported. Most of the storms were in extreme northeast Georgia, but as the evening progressed a few strong storms developed further south, with one becoming severe in Jones County.
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 3, 2:57 PM EST, 23 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
357 PM EDT TUE APR 3 2012
.SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/...
THUNDERSTORMS FIRING IN THE MOUNTAINS AND ALONG REMNANTS OF WEAK
BOUNDARY STRETCHING FROM BLUE RIDGE...TO LAWRENCEVILLE...TO DUBLIN.
THINK BEST CHANCE AND COVERAGE INTO THIS EVENING WILL CONTINUE TO
BE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE STATE AND WILL SHOW HIGHEST POPS THERE.
STRONG STORMS POSSIBLE WITH HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL BEING THE
MAIN THREATS. CONVECTION FAVORED OVER THE EAST SIDE OF THE STATE
AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY WITH MODELS INDICATING A WEAK TROF AT THE
SURFACE AND ALOFT OVER THAT AREA. WIDESPREAD CONVECTION EXPECTED
THURSDAY AS AN UPPER LOW APPROACHES. LIKELY POPS WARRANTED FOR
MUCH OF THE COUNTY WARNING AREA. STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS LOOKING
LIKE A GOOD POSSIBILITY WITH HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE
MAIN THREATS. WARM TEMPS WEDNESDAY WITH HIGHS AGAIN IN THE 80S
MUCH OF THE AREA. COOLER THURSDAY WITH WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED. MAV/MET MOS NUMBERS SIMILAR AND PLAN TO
STAY CLOSE.
49
.LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/...
MINOR TWEAKS TO THE PREVIOUS LONG TERM FORECAST. UPPER LEVEL LOW
EXPECTED TO TRAVERSE THE FORECAST AREA AT THE BEGINNING OF THE LONG
TERM. BEST INSTABILITY IS ACTUALLY BEFORE THE UPPER LEVEL FEATURE
MOVES ACROSS THE AREA AND MUCAPE VALUES QUICKLY TRAIL OFF THURSDAY
NIGHT. FOR THURSDAY NIGHT...0 TO 1 KM SHEAR VALUES ARE MINIMAL.
LOOKS LIKE OVERALL THREAT WOULD BE A CONTINUATION FROM THE DAYTIME
/SHORT TERM TIME FRAME/ AND WITH INSTABILITY TRAILING OFF THURSDAY
NIGHT...SEVERE CHANCES WILL BEGIN TO DECREASE. MAIN THREATS THAT MAY
LINGER INTO THE FIRST HALF OF THURSDAY NIGHT CONTINUE TO BE DAMAGING
WIND AND HAIL. SYSTEM PULLS OFF TO THE EAST BY THE WEEKEND AND RIDGE
BUILDS ACROSS THE AREA. A FRONT APPROACHES THE CWA TOWARD THE
BEGINNING OF THE WORKWEEK... HOWEVER PRECIP WITH THIS SYSTEM IS
LIMITED...SO LIMITED POPS TO SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS.
11
&&
.CLIMATE...
RECORDS FOR 04-03
MAX TEMPERATURE MIN TEMPERATURE
STATION HIGH LOW HIGH LOW
------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
KAHN 88 1934 47 1987 62 2007 26 1992
1974
KATL 86 1946 39 1987 65 1974 29 1992
1945
KCSG 88 1999 52 1987 70 1977 32 1962
1957
KMCN 89 1957 51 1901 69 1977 31 1993
1992
1971
&&
AVIATION...
18Z UPDATE...
REMNANTS OF WEAK FRONT APPEAR TO STILL BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN ATHENS
AND ATLANTA...WEST WINDS HOLDING AT ATLANTA. CONVECTION FIRING UP
IN THE MOUNTAINS AND JUST NORTH OF RYY. STILL THINK BEST COVERAGE
WILL BE OVER EAST SIDE OF STATE BUT COULD SEE A STORM POP UP JUST
ABOUT ANYWHERE AND HAVE TRIED TO NARROW DOWN THE TIMING TO LATE
DAY INTO EARLY EVENING FOR MOST TAF SITES. PATCHY LIGHT FOG
POSSIBLE EARLY WEDNESDAY AT FAVORED LOCATIONS IE AHN...MCN...FTY.
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION POSSIBLE AGAIN WEDNESDAY...LATE
MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON.
//ATL CONFIDENCE...18Z UPDATE...
HIGH ALL ELEMENTS...EXCEPT MEDIUM ON TIMING OF CONVECTION
49
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
ATHENS 61 82 61 76 / 30 30 20 60
ATLANTA 63 80 62 77 / 30 30 20 70
BLAIRSVILLE 58 79 57 75 / 30 40 30 70
CARTERSVILLE 57 83 59 77 / 30 40 20 80
COLUMBUS 64 83 62 80 / 20 30 20 70
GAINESVILLE 61 81 61 76 / 30 40 20 70
MACON 61 84 62 79 / 20 30 20 70
ROME 59 83 60 78 / 30 40 30 80
PEACHTREE CITY 57 81 59 78 / 30 30 20 70
VIDALIA 65 83 67 80 / 30 30 20 50
&&
.FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 415 PM EDT TUE APR 3 2012 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-040930- 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- 415 PM EDT TUE APR 3 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE STRONG. .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK DISTURBANCE MOVING ACROSS THE CENTRAL GULF COAST WILL MOVE THROUGH THE STATE THIS EVENING WHILE A FRONT LINGERS ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE STATE. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARDS FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...AND LIGHTNING. .DISCUSSION... AVAILABLE MOISTURE AND MODERATE INSTABILITY...WITH CAPE VALUES OF 1000 TO 1500 J/KG THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WILL COMBINE WITH THE FORCING OF THE INCOMING DISTURBANCE AND LINGERING FRONT ACROSS EAST GEORGIA TO ALLOW FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY...WITH THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY ON THURSDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ALTHOUGH SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT...SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT REPORTS ONLINE AT WEATHER.GOV/ATLANTA.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
215 PM EDT TUE APR 3 2012
GAZ006>009-014>016-031845-
215 PM EDT TUE APR 3 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR HEAVY RAIN IN WHITE...UNION...
TOWNS...LUMPKIN...DAWSON...FANNIN AND GILMER COUNTIES UNTIL 245 PM
EDT...
AT 210 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER HAWK MOUNTAIN SHELTER...MOVING EAST AT 10
MPH.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN 1.5 TO 2 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS
WHITE...UNION...TOWNS...LUMPKIN...DAWSON...FANNIN AND GILMER
COUNTIES...INCLUDING AREAS AROUND MARION...NIMBLEWILL...FAUSETT
LAKE...MCKEE...JUNO...AMICALOLA FALLS STATE PARK...LEN FOOTE HIKE
INN...HAWK MOUNTAIN SHELTER...PISGAH...BLACK GAP SHELTER...STOVER
CREEK SHELTER...SPRINGER MOUNTAIN SHELTER...MARGRET...DIAL AND
HURST. DRIVERS SHOULD USE CAUTION AS INTENSE RAINFALL WILL REDUCE
VISIBILITIES. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS IS ALSO LIKELY.
&&
LAT...LON 3489 8362 3488 8365 3482 8365 3480 8367
3477 8364 3471 8365 3434 8426 3498 8431
3500 8360
TIME...MOT...LOC 1815Z 269DEG 8KT 3464 8413SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
243 PM EDT TUE APR 3 2012
GAZ008-009-014>016-031915-
243 PM EDT TUE APR 3 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR HEAVY RAIN IN WHITE...UNION...
TOWNS...LUMPKIN AND DAWSON COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM EDT...
AT 240 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER DAHLONEGA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN 1.5 T0 2 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS
WHITE...UNION...TOWNS...LUMPKIN AND DAWSON COUNTIES...INCLUDING
AREAS AROUND LUMPKIN...CAMP
MERRILL...AURARIA...DAHLONEGA...NIMBLEWILL...DOUGHERTY...DAWSONVILLE.
..MCKEE...JUNO...AMICALOLA FALLS STATE PARK...LEN FOOTE HIKE
INN...GOOCH MOUNTAIN SHELTER...HAWK MOUNTAIN SHELTER...GADDISTOWN
AND SUCHES. DRIVERS SHOULD USE CAUTION AS INTENSE RAINFALL WILL
REDUCE VISIBILITIES. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS IS ALSO LIKELY.
&&
LAT...LON 3499 8358 3475 8369 3451 8367 3452 8378
3446 8389 3447 8393 3442 8398 3435 8397
3433 8400 3433 8426 3447 8426 3447 8429
3454 8430 3457 8425 3460 8425 3461 8418
3473 8410 3477 8410 3499 8390
TIME...MOT...LOC 1843Z 242DEG 17KT 3454 8398PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
301 PM EDT TUE APR 03 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0215 PM HAIL 2 SW LUMPKIN 34.34N 84.06W
04/03/2012 E0.25 INCH DAWSON GA COCORAHS
&&
SNELSONSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
309 PM EDT TUE APR 3 2012
GAZ008-009-014>016-022-023-034-031945-
309 PM EDT TUE APR 3 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR HEAVY RAIN IN WHITE...UNION...
TOWNS...LUMPKIN...DAWSON...FORSYTH...GWINNETT AND HALL COUNTIES UNTIL
345 PM EDT...
AT 306 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEAST GEORGIA...MOVING EAST
AT 15 MPH.
THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DIME SIZED HAIL...FREQUENT
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...AND PERIOD OF
HEAVY RAIN AS THEY MOVE ACROSS
WHITE...UNION...TOWNS...LUMPKIN...DAWSON...FORSYTH...GWINNETT AND
HALL COUNTIES THROUGH 345 PM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF
THESE STORMS INCLUDE LUMPKIN...CAMP
MERRILL...AURARIA...DAHLONEGA...NIMBLEWILL...WAR HILL
PARK...DOUGHERTY...DAWSONVILLE...MCKEE...JUNO...AMICALOLA FALLS
STATE PARK...LEN FOOTE HIKE INN...GOOCH MOUNTAIN SHELTER...HAWK
MOUNTAIN SHELTER AND SUCHES. HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL CAUSE PONDING OF
WATER ON ROADWAYS.
&&
LAT...LON 3499 8358 3491 8360 3488 8365 3482 8365
3480 8367 3475 8362 3466 8365 3436 8367
3430 8365 3425 8368 3412 8382 3402 8387
3411 8424 3447 8426 3448 8429 3454 8429
3461 8418 3468 8414
TIME...MOT...LOC 1908Z 258DEG 12KT 3456 8397PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
331 PM EDT TUE APR 03 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0320 PM HAIL SAUTEE 34.68N 83.68W
04/03/2012 E0.25 INCH WHITE GA CO-OP OBSERVER
&&
KFRANTZSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
341 PM EDT TUE APR 3 2012
GAZ022-023-025-034-035-032015-
341 PM EDT TUE APR 3 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR HEAVY RAIN IN BARROW...FORSYTH...
GWINNETT...HALL AND JACKSON COUNTIES UNTIL 415 PM EDT...
AT 340 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEAST GEORGIA...MOVING EAST AT
15 MPH.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN 1.5 TO 2 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS
BARROW...FORSYTH...GWINNETT...HALL AND JACKSON COUNTIES...INCLUDING
AREAS AROUND AQUALAND PARK...FLOWERY
BRANCH...OSCARVILLE...CHESTATEE...OAKWOOD...CHATEAU ELAN...THOMPSONS
MILL...CHESTNUT MOUNTAIN...ROAD ATLANTA-LANIER SPEEDWAY...COUNTY
LINE...GAINESVILLE...HOSCHTON...BRASELTON...CANDLER AND PEACH STATE
SPEEDWAY. DRIVERS SHOULD USE CAUTION AS INTENSE RAINFALL WILL REDUCE
VISIBILITIES. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS IS ALSO LIKELY.
&&
LAT...LON 3446 8368 3440 8365 3437 8367 3434 8365
3432 8365 3425 8355 3419 8351 3395 8388
3433 8405 3433 8396 3434 8397 3437 8398
TIME...MOT...LOC 1941Z 258DEG 14KT 3424 8391The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 132 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:18 UTC.
2 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The public reported quarter sized hail in Gillsville. The hail ripped a shutter off of his house.
Penny to quarter sized hail was reported at a business just outside of Jefferson.
The Jones County Emergency manager reported wind damage to a large barn, a home and several outbuildings on Graham Road. A few large hardwood trees were snapped as well.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, April 2012
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: 369163, 369164, 369166.