A strong cold front associated with a deep and sharp upper-level trough swept through the state accompanied by a line of thunderstorms. Despite only marginal instability; ample deep-layer shear and a strong low-level jet resulted in several reports of damaging winds and tornadoes with these thunderstorms.
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 strong cold front associated with a deep and sharp upper-level trough swept through the state accompanied by a line of thunderstorms. Despite only marginal instability; ample deep-layer shear and a strong low-level jet resulted in several reports of damaging winds and tornadoes with these thunderstorms. The early morning hours tornado that occurred in Catoosa County was actually associated with a supercell. The other tornadoes were associated with a Quasi-Linear Convective System (QLCS) during the late morning/afternoon hours of the 30th.
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 Nov 30, 1:00 AM EST, 21 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...Updated for Aviation National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 100 AM EST Wed Nov 30 2016 .UPDATE... Updated the forecast to add the Tornado Watch for portions of NW GA. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 620 PM EST Tue Nov 29 2016/ UPDATE... Have made a few minor tweaks to the ongoing forecast. The trend for the last few days has been a slower onset to the leading edge of the precip...have chosen to go this way again for overnight/tomorrow. Most of the hi-res models support this idea. The only other tweaks were to the hourly temp/dewpoint grids. PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 217 PM EST Tue Nov 29 2016/ SHORT TERM /Tonight through Wednesday Night/... The forecast area is currently in a lull between this morning's widespread rainfall and the next round of active weather expected by tomorrow. A warm, moist airmass will continue to filter northward into the area overnight as a warm front pushes northward into Tennessee, and a cold front currently over the Ark-La-Tex region will continue progressing eastward overnight. Showers and thunderstorms will begin to develop in earnest in the lower Mississippi Valley later this evening into tonight and move eastward ahead of the aforementioned cold front. A favorable setup for severe thunderstorms will exist in the states to our west, where ample shear and adequate instability will be in place. Gusty southerly winds can again be expected in the higher elevations of the north Georgia mountains tonight into Wednesday morning as a strong LLJ is in place. However, wind gusts are not expected to be as intense and as widespread as last night. Only the highest peaks are forecast to experience gusts of up to 30 to 35 mph. Due to the more isolated nature of these stronger gusts, opted not to issue any wind hazard products at this time. By late tonight into early Wednesday morning, expect ongoing convection to meld into a line as it progresses eastward toward Georgia. Model guidance has trended a bit slower on the arrival of this activity in northwest Georgia, favoring an arrival more towards sunrise on Wednesday in these areas. There will be the threat for at least isolated severe activity when the activity reaches Georgia. Though instability will be diminished here as compared to areas farther west (CAPE values peak around or just above 500 J/Kg) and the best dynamics will become displaced from the convection, plenty of shear/helicity will maintain a threat for some damaging wind gusts. There will be a gradual reduction in overall severe threat as storms move into eastern portions of our area later on Wednesday as instability wanes even more by Wednesday evening. Rain will exit the far southeastern portions of our forecast area overnight Wednesday night, and drier and more temperate fall temperatures will follow. RW LONG TERM /Thursday through Tuesday/... Only tweaks to the long term based on the latest guidance. Next rain event later this weekend and next week. BDL PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... Surface cold front will be pushing thru the SE portion of the forecast area at the start of the long-term period. This will keep a high-end chance of POPs going across most of central Ga...with CAA and drier airmass filtering into N Ga in the wake of the front. Although deep-layer shear will be strong...lack of appreciable instability due to meager lapse rates / despite moist boundary layer/ will minimize any strong/severe potential as this system exits. Most thunder activity will have diminished with moderate rain showers seeming most likely. All precip will clear the forecast area by Thursday morning as frontal system finally clears the CWA. Tranquil weather will persist Thursday through Friday under sfc high pressure influence and CAA regime. Slightly enhanced winds just above the sfc on Thursday could lead to breezy conditions with daytime mixing...but does not look to be as a big of a threat as the last several post-frontal set-ups with pressure gradient not quite as tight. Evaluation of ECMWF/GEFS/GEM ensemble data seem to be coming to terms in regards to our next system/rain chance. By early Saturday...a digging trough across the intermountain west will become a closed low over S Arizona/N Mexico...helping pump deep layer moisture across the SE as it taps into subtropical maritime air and flow becomes more SW in the mid-levels. Right now...prefer the GEFS/GEM evolution over ECMWF...which argues for slower progression of the closed low into an open wave as it migrates east. A steady stream of precip seems likely to move into the local area beginning late Saturday. As we go into Sunday... overrunning atop a more in-situ type sfc wedge will likely lead to a chilly rain going through late Monday. Though model discrepancies arise by Tuesday...sfc low development off east TX coast as closed mid-level low transitions to open wave could bring another round of precip to the area thru the remainder of the long-term...should GFS data verify. Kovacik HYDROLOGY... One product of this weather system that most of us will happily welcome is the additional beneficial rainfall. The highest additional rainfall totals are expected across very parched far north Georgia, where additional rainfall amounts over 1.5 inches will be possible. Forecast rainfall amounts gradually taper farther to the south and east as the overall convective intensity will diminish by the time it reaches these areas. RW AVIATION... 06Z Update... Showers and a few severe thunderstorms training across nw GA and should stay north of the taf sites during the night. Showers and thunderstorms drifting south across the forecast area beginning after sunrise today and continuing into the afternoon. Cold front approaching KATL around 18z. A few storms possibly severe today. Front should be just south of the taf sites by around 00z Thursday. Winds remainder of tonight varying 170-200 8 to 10kt with a few gusts...becoming more southwest and gusty after 14z. Areas of ifr through 14z then some improvement into mvfr and occasional vfr. 41 //ATL Confidence...06Z Update... Medium confidence all elements. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Athens 63 71 42 60 / 50 80 30 0 Atlanta 64 69 42 57 / 50 80 20 0 Blairsville 60 64 34 53 / 80 100 20 0 Cartersville 63 66 38 56 / 70 100 10 0 Columbus 67 73 43 61 / 50 80 20 0 Gainesville 62 68 42 57 / 70 80 20 0 Macon 64 76 43 64 / 30 80 60 0 Rome 62 66 36 57 / 90 100 10 0 Peachtree City 63 69 39 58 / 50 80 20 0 Vidalia 64 80 54 66 / 20 50 60 5 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Tornado Watch until 4 AM EST Wednesday FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: Catoosa...Chattooga...Dade...Walker...Whitfield. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 1013 PM EST TUE NOV 29 2016 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-301200- 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- 1013 PM EST TUE NOV 29 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... A LARGE COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST GEORGIA OVERNIGHT. A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE...WITH THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. IN ADDITION...A FEW LIGHTNING STRIKES WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG WITH SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR ANY SEVERE WEATHER OVERNIGHT WILL BE ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM CHATTOOGAVILLE TO FORT OGLETHORPE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... ADDITIONAL WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE STATE. A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME STRONG PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND AN OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING STRIKE. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. BRIEF DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WOULD BE THE MAIN THREAT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
1157 PM EST TUE NOV 29 2016
GAZ001-300530-
DADE GA-
1157 PM EST TUE NOV 29 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN DADE COUNTY UNTIL 1230
AM EST...
AT 1157 PM EST...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR BRIDGEPORT...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
HAZARD...40 TO 50 MPH WIND AND HEAVY RAIN. POSSIBLE ROTATION AS
WELL. TORNADO WARNING MAY BE NEEDED.
IMPACT...PEOPLE OUTDOORS SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. EXPECT
MINOR DAMAGE TO TREE LIMBS AND BLOWING AROUND OF
LIGHT...UNSECURED OBJECTS. MOTORISTS SHOULD SLOW DOWN AND
BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO
HYDROPLANING. ALSO...THE HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE TEMPORARY
STREET FLOODING OR ROAD PONDING IN SLOW DRAINAGE AREAS.
WHEN WATER COVERS THE ROAD...REMEMBER TO TURN AROUND
DON'T DROWN.
SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE
TRENTON...NEW ENGLAND...COLE CITY...MORGANVILLE...WILDWOOD...HOOKER
AND STEPHENSVILLE.
LAT...LON 3498 8536 3492 8540 3485 8558 3495 8560
3498 8560
TIME...MOT...LOC 0457Z 240DEG 49KT 3490 8575The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 48 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:19 UTC.
12 thunderstorm wind, 8 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
The Dade County 911 center reported multiple trees blown along Gass Road in the vicinity of Highway 136. County Transportation crews were called out to clear the roadway.
A brief EF0 tornado with maximum winds of 85 MPH moved along a path with a maximum width of 225 yards for 1.29 miles across portions of Catoosa County. The tornado began as several trees were uprooted or snapped just east of Ooltewah-Ringgold Road between Sleepy Lane and Mountain Lane. The tornado traveled east northeast over White Oak Mountain continuing to cause damage to trees before ending just east of Cherokee Valley Road around Swallow Lane where several homes sustained damage. One home had its garage doors blown in and part of the garage roof lifted off. Debris from this roof was carried more than 500 yards away. Siding was pulled off of another home in this area. [11/30/16: Tornado #1, County #1/1, EF0, Catoosa, 2016:007].
A short-lived EF0 tornado with maximum winds of 75 MPH moved along a path with a maximum width of 100 yards for 4.02 miles across portions of Carroll County. The tornado began north of the Mount Zion community along Lee Williams Road just west of Highway 27 where several large branches were snapped off of trees. Several other trees were snapped or uprooted along the path as the tornado moved northeast before ending around the intersection of Bell Road and Pleasant Ridge Road. [11/30/16: Tornado #2, County #1/1, EF0, Carroll, 2016:008].
A National Weather Service storm survey team found that an EF1 tornado with maximum winds of 100 MPH moved along a path with a maximum width of 100 yards for just under a half of a mile across portions of Cobb County. The tornado began along Delta Circle impacting several large, metal industrial buildings. The southern corner of one warehouse was ripped apart with metal siding and roofing was twisted and carried about a quarter of a mile away into an open field. At this location a tractor-trailer was flipped onto its side and several trees were snapped or uprooted. The tornado travelled northeast causing additional damage around the intersection of Mableton Parkway and Lee Industrial Boulevard where several large trees were snapped or uprooted and a wooden utility pole was ripped out of the ground. An aluminum light pole was snapped near the base and several more trees were snapped or uprooted along Discovery Boulevard before the tornado ended. [11/30/16: Tornado #3, County #1/1, EF1, Cobb, 2016:009].
A National Weather Service storm survey team found that an EF1 tornado with maximum winds of 90 MPH moved along a path with a maximum width of 100 yards for 1.90 miles across portions of northern Fulton County. The tornado began along Margaret Mitchell Ct. NW just east of I-75 where several large pine trees were snapped. The tornado swept east northeast snapping or uprooting several more large pine trees around the intersection of Northside Parkway and Moores Mill Road NW. The tornado then turned more easterly snapping or uprooting several more trees along Marne Drive and Arden Road NW before ending around the intersection of West Paces Ferry Road and Habersham Road NW. [11/30/16: Tornado #4, County #1/1, EF1, Fulton, 2016:010].
An Atlanta television station reported a tree blown down on Windward Parkway near Clubhouse Drive.
The Troup County 911 center reported a tree blown down on Lovic Davis Road.
A National Weather Service storm survey team found that an EF0 tornado with maximum winds of 80 MPH moved along a path with a maximum width of 100 yards for 1.10 miles across portions of northern Fulton County. The tornado began along Windward Parkway where two pine trees were uprooted. The tornado moved northeast to McGinnis Ferry Road where it crossed into Forsyth County. [11/30/16: Tornado #5, County #1/2, EF0, Fulton, 2016:011].
A National Weather Service storm survey team found that an EF0 tornado with maximum winds of 80 MPH moved along a path with a maximum width of 100 yards for 1.86 miles across portions of Forsyth County. The tornado crossed into Forsyth County from Fulton County along McGinnis Ferry Road where several trees were snapped or uprooted and traveled northeast. A traffic light was damaged at the intersection of McFarland Parkway and Currie Drive and more trees were snapped or uprooted along the path before the tornado ended along Ridgefield Drive. [11/30/16: Tornado #5, County #2/2, EF0, Forsyth, 2016:011].
An Atlanta area television news station reported a large tree blown down onto North Peachtree Street near Sunset Drive and a large tree blown down onto a house on Tina Court.
The Rockdale County Emergency Manager reported trees blown down from around Ebenezer Road and Goode Road to around Hi Roc Road and Arlin Street.
The Pike County 911 center reported trees blown down on Lawrence Mill Road, Roberts Quarters Road and Drew Allen Road.
A National Weather Service storm survey team found that an EF1 tornado with maximum winds of 90 MPH moved along a path with a maximum width of 100 yards for 2.3 miles across portions of Jackson County. The tornado began near a poultry supply store on Maysville Road just north of I-85 where it blew over 5, half-ton, unsecured poultry feed bins and downed several large tree branches. The tornado moved northeast paralleling the interstate. Two street signs were bent over along Ridgeway Church Road. The tornado path crossed over a large outlet mall where no apparent damage was noted, however the most severe damage occurred just past the mall where an automobile trailer sales business had two large overhead doors blown in and the front door to the business blown off. Several trailers were rolled about 50 feet and damage to the roof of the building was also noted at this location. The tornado then continued northeastward where it crossed into Banks County. [11/30/16: Tornado #6, County #1/2, EF1, Jackson, 2016:012].
A National Weather Service storm survey team found that an EF1 tornado with maximum winds of 90 MPH moved along a path with a maximum width of 100 yards for 0.50 miles across portions of Banks County. The tornado crossed into Banks County from Jackson County along the I-85 frontage road and continued northeast before ending around the intersection of Highway 441 and East Ridgeway Road where a couple of large business signs were blown out. [11/30/16: Tornado #6, County #2/2, EF1, Banks, 2016:012].
The Spalding County 911 center reported a tree blown down at North Expressway and Glenwood Drive.
The Lamar County 911 center reported trees blown down across the northern portion of the county from around Young Road to I-75 near mile marker 198.
The Butts County 911 center reported a tree blown down on Hamm Road.
The Madison County 911 center reported 4 trees blown down between Colbert and Carlton across the southern portion of the county.
The Oglethorpe County 911 center reported multiple trees blown down from the Arnoldsville, Crawford and Lexington areas to just south of Comer. Some locations include Dora Hill Bush Road, Arnoldsville Road, Collier Church Road, Washington Road and Hutchins Road.
The Hancock County 911 center reported several trees blown down in the Holiday Shores area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Georgia, 2016Warnings in Georgia, November 2016
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: 662644, 662417, 662418, 662419, 662420, 662645, 662646, 662421, 662422, 662647, 662649, 662648, 662423, 662424, 662650, 662651, 662652, 662653, 662654, 662655.