A weak upper ridge was in place across the region and was forecast to strengthen over the next few days. High fire danger conditions were not expected since relative humidities were above 25 percent and fuel moistures were above 10 percent.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
A weak upper ridge was in place across the region and was forecast to strengthen over the next few days. High fire danger conditions were not expected since relative humidities were above 25 percent and fuel moistures were above 10 percent.
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 17, 9:31 AM EST, 2 hours 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
1031 AM EDT SAT MAR 17 2012
.UPDATE...
AREA OF SHOWERS HOLDING OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS
MORNING AND HAVE ISSUED A QUICK UPDATE TO INCREASE POPS A BIT IN
THAT AREA. OTHERWISE...STILL EXPECTIONG SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA THIS
AFTERNOON...WITH BEST COVERAGE OVER NORTH AND EAST GEORGIA.
49
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 730 AM EDT SAT MAR 17 2012/
SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/...
WEAK UPPER RIDGING CONTINUES ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH TODAY. THE
UPPER RIDGE BEGINS BUILDING AND STRENGTHENING ACROSS THE EASTERN
U.S. AS WE MOVE INTO SUNDAY IN RESPONSE TO THE DEEPENING TROUGH
ACROSS THE CENTER OF THE COUNTRY. NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA REMAIN
ALONG THE NORTHERN EDGED OF THE RIDGE TODAY WHERE WEAK WAVES MOVING
THROUGH THE FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE FORECAST AREA. BEST
CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION...AND CONVECTION...WILL REMAIN ACROSS
NORTH AND EAST GEORGIA WHERE UPPER SUPPORT IS BEST AND RIDGE IS
WEAKER. BY SUNDAY THIS AREA PUSHES FURTHER NORTH AND EAST...BUT
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION IS STILL POSSIBLE ACROSS THE
FORECAST AREA. INSTABILITY REMAINS MODERATE AND ISOLATED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS CANNOT BE RULED OUT...BUT WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS
NOT EXPECTED.
WITH THE UPPER RIDGE PERSISTING ACROSS THE REGION AFTERNOON
TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN NEAR RECORD LEVELS THROUGH SUNDAY.
20
LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
LONG RANGE MODELS START OUT IN GOOD AGREEMENT...SHOWING HIGH
PRESSURE DOMINATING THE SOUTHEAST WHILE A LONG WAVE TROUGH DEEPENS
OVER THE PLAINS MONDAY-TUESDAY. THEN THE MODELS BEGIN TO DIVERGE...
WITH GFS CUTTING OFF AN UPPER LOW OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WHILE
THE ECMWF KICKS THE LONG WAVE TROUGH EASTWARD. AS A RESULT... THE
GFS IS SLOWER...NOT SPREADING INCREASED RAIN CHANCES INTO THE
STATE UNTIL THURSDAY-FRIDAY... WHILE ECMWF SPREADS CONVECTION INTO
THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY. FOR NOW... HAVE LEANED TOWARD THE SLOWER
GFS SOLUTION... SHOWING THE GREATER RAIN CHANCES LATER IN THE
WEEK. HOWEVER... MUCH UNCERTAINTY HAS WARRANTED SHOWING A SLIGHT
CHANCE OF CONVECTION ALL ZONES ON WEDNESDAY. OTHERWISE... A SUMMER
TIME DIURNAL PATTERN STILL LOOKS REASONABLE FOR MONDAY-TUESDAY...
AS ISOLATED AFTERNOON-EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
POSSIBLE AS TEMPERATURES CLIMB INTO THE 80S. THEN EXPECT SLIGHTLY
COOLER DAYTIME HIGHS WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY WITH INCREASING CLOUDS AND
RAIN CHANCES EXPECTED BY MID TO LATE WEEK.
39
CLIMATE...
RECORDS FOR 03-17
MAX TEMPERATURE MIN TEMPERATURE
STATION HIGH LOW HIGH LOW
------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
KAHN 85 1945 39 2005 62 1945 23 1924
KATL 86 1945 38 1892 65 2002 23 1895
KCSG 88 2002 45 2005 67 2002 30 1981
1954
KMCN 88 1945 44 2005 65 1908 27 1988
RECORDS FOR 03-18
MAX TEMPERATURE MIN TEMPERATURE
STATION HIGH LOW HIGH LOW
------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
KAHN 87 1921 45 1998 63 1908 23 1967
1941
1902
KATL 84 1982 30 1892 67 1908 20 1902
KCSG 89 1982 49 1988 64 1982 29 1967
KMCN 88 1908 43 1902 67 1908 28 2007
1941
RECORDS FOR 03-19
MAX TEMPERATURE MIN TEMPERATURE
STATION HIGH LOW HIGH LOW
------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
KAHN 86 1982 45 1947 61 1908 22 1892
KATL 85 1982 44 1892 65 1927 17 1892
KCSG 88 1982 52 2001 66 1948 30 1985
1960
KMCN 88 1963 49 1947 64 1982 26 1967
1945 1902
1927
AVIATION...
12Z UPDATE...
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREDOMINATE THROUGH THIS FORECAST PERIOD ACROSS
THE FORECAST AREA...OUTSIDE OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. SCATTERED
MVFR...WITH LOCAL IFR...VISIBILITIES ARE POSSIBLE UNTIL AROUND 14Z.
HOWEVER NO TAF SITES ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS.
AREA OF SHOWERS WORKING ITS WAY ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA AT THIS TIME
WILL HAVE MINIMAL TO NO EFFECT ON THE TAF SITES. ISOLATED TO
SCATTERED CONVECTION IS POSSIBLE AT ANY TIME DURING THE FORECAST
PERIOD...BUT BEST CHANCES REMAIN BETWEEN 18Z AND 06Z. WINDS WILL BE
LIGHT AND VARIABLE THROUGH 14Z...RETURNING TO SOUTHWESTERLY BETWEEN
5 AND 8 KTS THROUGH 00Z BEFORE DIMINISHING ONCE AGAIN.
//ATL CONFIDENCE...12Z UPDATE...
HIGH CONFIDENCE ALL ELEMENTS...EXCEPT MEDIUM AT BEST ON TIMING OF
CONVECTION.
20
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
ATHENS 83 59 85 58 / 40 30 30 20
ATLANTA 82 61 83 60 / 40 30 20 10
BLAIRSVILLE 79 52 79 51 / 60 30 30 20
CARTERSVILLE 83 53 85 52 / 40 30 20 10
COLUMBUS 86 61 86 60 / 20 10 20 10
GAINESVILLE 82 59 82 58 / 40 30 30 20
MACON 85 60 86 59 / 30 20 20 10
ROME 82 54 84 53 / 40 30 20 10
PEACHTREE CITY 82 53 84 52 / 30 20 20 10
VIDALIA 85 62 85 61 / 40 40 20 10
&&
.FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1101 AM EDT SAT MAR 17 2012 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-181100- 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- 1101 AM EDT SAT MAR 17 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. .SYNOPSIS... SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO COMBINE WITH WEAK UPPER LEVEL RIDGING TO KEEP A WARM...MOIST AIR MASS OVER GEORGIA. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM WILL BE FREQUENT LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. .DISCUSSION... THE GREATER CHANCE FOR CONVECTION WILL BE ACROSS NORTH AND EAST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WHERE UPPER LEVEL RIDGING IS THE WEAKEST. MODERATE INSTABILITIES ARE EXPECTED AS DAYTIME TEMPERATURES IN THE 80S HELP PRODUCE 1000 TO 15O0 CAPE AND -2 TO -5 LI'S. AS A RESULT... A FEW STORMS COULD BE STRONG... AND AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM CANNOT BE RULED OUT. HOWEVER... WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED DUE TO SUFFICIENT MID LEVEL RIDGING INFLUENCE. THE THUNDERSTORM THREAT SHOULD GREATLY DIMINISH BY MIDNIGHT AS RIDGING ALOFT BEGINS TO STRENGTHEN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE EACH DAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The National Forest Service reported that a human-caused wildfire labeled Browns Chapel burned 1.5 acres and resulted in $5,000 in damages.
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, March 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: 427537.