A cold front approached the state late in the day on the 8th, but high pressure was in control of the area ahead of the front. High fire danger conditions were not anticipated due to relative humidities above 25 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 cold front approached the state late in the day on the 8th, but high pressure was in control of the area ahead of the front. High fire danger conditions were not anticipated due to relative humidities above 25 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 8, 2:45 PM EST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 245 PM EST THU MAR 8 2012 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE ATLANTIC CONTINUES TO LOSE ITS GRIP OVER THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. PRECIP ACTIVITY EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT AS FRONTAL BOUNDARY PUSHES INTO NORTH GEORGIA. CURRENT MCS OVER TENNESSEE WILL SUPPORT SOME EARLY SHOWER ACTIVITY THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE AREA...BUT EXPECT MAIN PRECIP FOCUS AFTER 00Z. OVERALL...HAVE KEPT A TIGHT POP GRADIENT ACROSS THE AREA...WITH CATEGORICAL ACROSS NORTH GA...AND SLIGHT CHANCE IN THE SE CWA. BY 12Z FRIDAY...DIMINISH POPS FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. MODELS NOT ENTIRELY IN AGREEMENT ON THUNDER POTENTIAL. 12Z NAM FAR MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH THUNDERSTORM SUPPORT...WITH MU CAPE IN THE 1200-1400 J/KG RANGE...AND IT REMAINS THE OUTLIER OF ALL THE OTHER MODELS GENERALLY RANGING FROM 100-300 J/KG. HAVE KEPT MENTION OF ISOLATED THUNDER ACROSS FAR NORTH GEORGIA THROUGH 06Z. SHEAR AND INSTABILITY ARE IN PHASE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME IN NORTH GEORGIA...AND THIS COULD SUPPORT SOME STRONGER STORMS. BOUNDARY MEANDERS THROUGH THE STATE OVERNIGHT...AND PRECIP CHANCES LINGER ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION INTO THE WEEKEND. SOME INSTABILITY REMAINING ACROSS THE AREA COULD ALLOW FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IN THE FAR SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CWA. FOR TEMPERATURES...HAVE TENDED TOWARDS THE WARMER SIDE OF GUIDANCE WITH THE AMPLE CLOUD COVER AND SHOWER ACTIVITY. EXPECT HIGHS IN THE 60S THROUGH THE SHORT TERM...WITH LOWS IN THE 50S ON FRIDAY...AND 40S BY SATURDAY. 31 .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... NEXT SYSTEM LOOKS TO ENTER THE AREA LATE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY...AND MODELS ARE FAIRLY CONSISTENT FOR EARLY WEEK. HAVE MADE NO MAJOR CHANGES TO THE CURRENT EXTENDED FORECAST...SO THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION HAS BEEN INCLUDED BELOW. /31 /ISSUED 355 AM EST THU MAR 8 2012/ MODELS CONSISTENT ON SATURDAY WITH STRONG HIGH PRESSURE MOVING TO THE E COAST AND AN UPPER RIDGE MOVING TO THE SE WITH A MUCH DRIER AIRMASS OVER NEARLY THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA. MAYBE A BRIEF LIGHT SHOWER OVER THE FAR SW CWA. MOISTURE RETURNS FOR SUNDAY WITH INCREASING RAIN CHANCES OVER N AND W GA AS AN UPPER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES OVER THE MID MS VALLEY. GFS INDICATING A STRONGER SHORT WAVE OVER THE LOWER MS VALLEY FOR MONDAY THAN THE EUROPEAN WITH THE BEST RAIN CHANCES CONTINUING FOR N AND PARTS OF CENTRAL GA. GFS MOVES A SHORT WAVE ACROSS THE AREA FOR TUESDAY WHILE THE EUROPEAN APPEARS TO MOSTLY JUST BUILD THE UPPER RIDGE. AT LEAST SOME CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA...MOST SO FOR N AND W GA. SMALL CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY UNDER MAINLY THE UPPER RIDGE WITH POTENTIAL FOR SHORT WAVES TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. BDL && .FIREWEATHER... RAIN CHANCES WILL DIMINISH INTO FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE REGION THIS WEEKEND...AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL GEORGIA ARE EXPECTED TO DROP TO OR BELOW 25 PERCENT FOR A FEW HOURS ON SATURDAY. FUEL MOISTURE WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED TO DETERMINE FOR CRITICAL FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS SATURDAY. 31 && .HYDROLOGY... STORM TOTAL QPF STILL 1-1.5 INCHES ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON...AND WITH 3 HR FFG VALUES AT OR ABOVE 2.25 INCHES...FEEL A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS NOT NECESSARY AT THIS TIME. SOME LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE...AND ISOLATED ISSUES MAY RESULT. LATEST MODEL RUNS AND CONDITIONS WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED AHEAD OF THIS EVENT. ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE CWA...EXPECT RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF GENERALLY 1 INCH OR LESS. 31 && .AVIATION... 18Z UPDATE... VFR CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON WILL BECOME MVFR CIGS BY 05Z...WITH MVFR VSBYS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHOWER ACTIVITY. CIGS WILL IMPROVE SLIGHTLY BY 12Z...AND BE VFR BY 15Z. PRECIP ACTIVITY IN THE ATL AREA SHOULD BEGIN AROUND 02-03Z...WITH MODERATE SHOWERS BY 05-08Z. LIGHT RAIN WILL FOLLOW MAIN AREA. INSTABILITIES ARE LIMITED...AND HAVE OPTED NOT TO INCLUDE MENTION OF CB OR TS. WINDS WILL BE SSW THIS AFTERNOON...08-10KTS WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 20KTS. WINDS WILL VEER OVERNIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY...WITH SPEEDS OF 3-6KTS BECOMING 8-12KTS FRIDAY MORNING. //ATL CONFIDENCE...18Z UPDATE... MEDIUM TO HIGH CONFIDENCE ON ALL ELEMENTS...EXCEPT FOR MEDIUM ON CIGS AND PRECIP TIMING. 31 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 57 65 40 63 / 90 80 10 5 ATLANTA 58 62 42 63 / 100 80 10 5 BLAIRSVILLE 52 59 33 61 / 100 70 5 5 CARTERSVILLE 54 60 36 64 / 100 80 5 5 COLUMBUS 60 69 46 67 / 60 60 10 5 GAINESVILLE 56 64 40 61 / 100 80 5 5 MACON 60 70 44 65 / 40 60 20 5 ROME 55 62 36 66 / 100 80 5 5 PEACHTREE CITY 58 65 37 64 / 90 80 10 5 VIDALIA 60 75 49 66 / 20 50 30 5 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 31/BDL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1100 AM EST THU MAR 8 2012 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-091100- 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- 1100 AM EST THU MAR 8 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE OVER NORTH GEORGIA THIS EVENING. .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE TO CENTRAL GEORGIA LATE TONIGHT. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARD FROM ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING AND THE THREAT OF STRONG GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH. THE MOST LIKELY LOCATION FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA FROM ROME TO CLEVELAND AND NORTH. .DISCUSSION... AS THE FRONT MOVES INTO NORTH GEORGIA THIS EVENING...AN AXIS OF MOST UNSTABLE CAPE WILL BE ASSOCIATED. THERE IS MUCH UNCERTAINTY AS HOW MUCH CAPE THERE WILL BE AND THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONGER CAPE FARTHER SOUTH WILL BE MONITORED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL GEORGIA ON FRIDAY AND OVER MUCH OF THE AREA TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. OTHERWISE NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT. BDL/JTD
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 Cantrell Road burned 3.5 acres and resulted in $1,500 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: 427535.