Georgia, 2012

Wildfire in Georgia, March 27, 2012

March 27, 2012 · NWS FFC · 1 event in 1 county or zone

High pressure ridged down the eastern slopes of the Appalachians on the 27th, allowing a cold air damming event to develop. Fuels dried significantly during the day as relative humidities dropped in the cold dome, but relative humidities remained above the 25 percent threshold for fire danger conditions.

Where it happened

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.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$2,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS FFC wrote it up.

High pressure ridged down the eastern slopes of the Appalachians on the 27th, allowing a cold air damming event to develop. Fuels dried significantly during the day as relative humidities dropped in the cold dome, but relative humidities remained above the 25 percent threshold for fire danger conditions.

What forecasters said that day

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 27, 10:09 AM EST, 1 hour 51 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 27, 10:09 AM EST, 1 hour 51 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
1109 AM EDT TUE MAR 27 2012

.UPDATE...
CURRENT FORECAST CONTINUES ON TRACK...NO UPDATE ANTICIPATED AT THIS
TIME.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 329 AM EDT TUE MAR 27 2012/

SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/...

LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES SHOWS HIGH
PRESSURE HAS SHIFTED EASTWARD ALLOWING FOR A DEVELOPING WEDGE
FEATURE ON THE LEE SIDE OF THE APPALACHIANS. WEDGE FRONT SUCH AS
IT IS HAS MADE IT INTO THE CAROLINA MOUNTAINS AND SHOULD PUSH INTO
OUR AREA FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.
OTHERWISE...CLEAR SKIES ACROSS THE AREA WITH TEMPS IN THE UPPER
50S TO LOWER 60S.

FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH THROUGH TODAY WITHOUT MUCH FANFARE
EXCEPT FOR AN INCREASE IN EASTERLY FLOW WITH SOME POTENTIAL LOW
END GUSTS OVER EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. WILL ALSO BE
WATCHING AN AREA OF ENHANCED MOISTURE THE MODELS ARE KEYING IN ON
EMANATING FROM THE ATLANTIC SIDE OF THE STATE AND PROVIDING
INCREASED CLOUDS TO MCN AND CSG LATE IN THE DAY. DESPITE ABUNDANT
SUNSHINE ELSEWHERE...COOLER EASTERLY FLOW WILL CURB AFTERNOON
HIGHS SLIGHTLY FROM YESTERDAYS VALUES.

AFOREMENTIONED ATLANTIC MOISTURE LOOKS TO SURGE NORTHWARD DURING
THE OVERNIGHT HOURS WITH LOWERING CLOUD DECKS ANTICIPATED. WINDS
WILL REMAIN ELEVATED AND THEREFORE EXPECTING JUST A LOW CLOUD EVENT
VERSUS ANY FOG. CLOUDS WILL MIX OUT OVER ALL BUT EASTERN PORTION
OF CWA THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON IN ADVANCE OF A WEAK FRONTAL
BOUNDARY MOVING THROUGH THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. MAIN UPPER LEVEL
SUPPORT LOOKS TO BE FROM THE OHIO VALLEY THROUGH THE MID ATLANTIC
WITH SYSTEM JUST CLIPPING OUR NORTHERN ZONES LATE WED INTO WED
NIGHT. ANTICIPATING INSTABILITY AROUND 1500 J/KG DURING THE
AFTERNOON BUT THIS TAILS OFF PRIOR TO BEST LIFT ARRIVING FOR THE
NORTH. WILL KEEP THUNDER IN FOR NOW BUT LIMITED OVERALL POP CHANCES
TO JUST 20 PERCENT.

DEESE

LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
A WEAK BACKDOOR COLD FRONT MOVES INTO N GA AND MAYBE TO CENTRAL GA
THURSDAY WITH LIMITED MOISTURE AND WEAK INSTABILITY. GFS IS FASTER
THAN THE NAM AND EUROPEAN WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT INTO THE
CWA. BEST POPS ACROSS FAR N GA AND MAINLY FROM THE NAM.

SOME MOISTURE RETURN FOR FRIDAY WITH A WEAK FRONT POSSIBLY ACROSS
THE AREA WITH THE GFS AND EUROPEAN IN DISAGREEMENT ON THIS. ONLY
SMALL POPS EXPECTED. A SHORTWAVE/UPPER TROUGH IS FORECAST TO MOVE TO
THE AREA LATE SATURDAY WITH CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
FOR NEARLY THE ENTIRE CWA. MAINLY SMALL CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY WITH AN UPPER RIDGE BUILDING. GFS IS FASTER
WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE UPPER TROUGH AND THE BUILDING UPPER RIDGE
THAN THE EUROPEAN. GFS MOVES A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE LOWER MS VALLEY
MONDAY WITH INCREASING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AND THE
EUROPEAN IS DRY. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA ON
TUESDAY WITH THE GFS GENERALLY WET AND THE EUROPEAN DRY.
TEMPERATURES MOSTLY ABOVE NORMAL THIS PERIOD.

FIRE WEATHER...FUELS HAVE DRIER SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE NORTHEAST
PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA IN TANDEM WITH ANTICIPATED LOWEST RH
VALUES THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...STILL EXPECTING LOWEST RH TO
BOTTOM OUT IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S...JUST SHY OF ANY DANGER
STATEMENT CRITERIA.

&&

AVIATION...
12Z UPDATE...
WIND SHIFT HAS FINALLY OCCURRED AHEAD OF FRONT AND INCREASED TO 8
TO 10 KTS ALONG EASTERN SECTIONS. EXPECT BEST GUST POTENTIAL TO
ACTUALLY BE THIS MORNING WITH GUIDANCE SHOWING LESS WINDS THIS
AFTERNOON. CONDITIONS TO DETERIORATE TUE NIGHT WITH GUIDANCE IN
GOOD AGREEMENT IN A TRANSITION TO MVFR PRIOR TO 12Z. SOME
INDICATIONS FOR EVEN LOWER AT MCN BUT WILL LET SUBSEQUENT
FORECASTS DECIDE IF THESE CONDITIONS ARE WARRANTED.

//ATL CONFIDENCE...12Z UPDATE...
MEDIUM ON CIGS TONIGHT.
HIGH ON REMAINING ELEMENTS.

DEESE

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
ATHENS          75  53  79  56 /   0   0   5   5
ATLANTA         74  58  80  60 /   0   0   5   0
BLAIRSVILLE     68  47  73  51 /   0   0  10  20
CARTERSVILLE    76  54  80  54 /   0   0  10   5
COLUMBUS        83  60  83  60 /   0   0   5   0
GAINESVILLE     74  53  74  56 /   0   0  10  10
MACON           79  54  83  55 /   0   0   5   5
ROME            75  53  81  53 /   0   0  10  10
PEACHTREE CITY  76  54  81  52 /   0   0   5   0
VIDALIA         78  55  84  59 /   0   0   5   5

&&

.FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

20
Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 27, 10:10 AM EST, 1 hour 50 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
1110 AM EDT TUE MAR 27 2012

GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086-
089>098-102>113-281000-
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-
1110 AM EDT TUE MAR 27 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SYNOPSIS...
DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE TO THE EAST COAST TODAY AND INTO THE
WESTERN ATLANTIC TONIGHT. A STABLE AIRMASS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE
FORECAST AREA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY...
THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE FAR NORTH
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AND ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA FRIDAY AND
SUNDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA SATURDAY
AND MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Fannin

When
March 27, 12:00 PM EST to 2:15 PM EST
Where
Fannin forecast zone
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
Park/Forest Service
Coordinates
34.864, -84.320 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The National Forest Service reported that a human-caused fire labeled Doublehead burned 3.8 acres and resulted in $1,500 in damages.

What these are

Wildfire
A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Georgia in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, March 2012

Sources

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: 427538.