A strong short wave and associated cold front produced a line of strong to severe thunderstorms that swept across north Georgia during the early morning hours. Despite only marginal instability, strong low and mid-layer shear helped to produce scatter reports of damaging thunderstorm winds and an isolated report of large hail.
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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 short wave and associated cold front produced a line of strong to severe thunderstorms that swept across north Georgia during the early morning hours. Despite only marginal instability, strong low and mid-layer shear helped to produce scatter reports of damaging thunderstorm winds and an isolated report of large hail.
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 10, 1:10 AM EST, 40 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 110 AM EST Fri Mar 10 2017 .UPDATE... Updated to issue the Severe Thunderstorm Watch for NW GA. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 1002 PM EST Thu Mar 9 2017/ UPDATE... MCS currently moving across northwest TN. Based on this current movement, which happens to line up well with the hi-res models, puts the leading edge of the MCS into Dade county between 2 AM and 3 AM. Based on this, have pushed back the onset of the precip by an hour or two on the grids. There will be scattered showers and tstorms ahead of this and have also accounted for that. Remainder of the forecast looks on track. PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 301 PM EST Thu Mar 9 2017/ SHORT TERM /Tonight through Friday Night/... Latest obs showing surface high pressure is sinking southward over the Gulf of Mexico. This will allow moisture to return across MS/AL through this evening and have already started to see Tds increase across the area. This moisture will be advected eastward through this evening into north GA. The short term models are in good agreement that this moisture will interact with a surface front moving into the Mississippi and Tennessee valleys this evening, as well as a vort max to produce showers and thunderstorms. This front approaches NW GA between 06-09Z and quickly traverses north and central GA, exiting east central GA by 18Z on Friday with rapid clearing of showers and skies behind the front. GFS and NAM both showing minimal CAPEs (generally 500J/kg or less) and 40-65kt 0-6km shear with 30-40kts 0-1km shear across portions of northwest Ga between 06-10Z. The chance continues that we may see a period of strong to an isolated severe thunderstorm across NW GA, with wind gusts and hail the primary threats. The line continues to weaken as it moves into the Atlanta Metropolitan area and south and east across the forecast area through the morning hours. Could continue to see an isolated thunderstorm as the line moves across the acre through the morning hours, with clearing of showers and thunderstorms across NW GA shortly after daybreak. Guidance temperatures in general agreement, and have gone with a blend. Tomorrow's afternoon temperatures may be impacted by cooler air filtering into the forecast area but CAA doesn't really get started until late afternoon and will hedge toward warmer temperatures for now. ATWELL LONG TERM /Saturday through Thursday/... Mainly only tweaks to the long term based on the latest guidance. Still plenty of uncertainty about snow chances and any amounts later Saturday night/Sunday morning. BDL PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... Winter will come back out of hiding for portions of the long term forecast period. A colder and drier airmass will settle across much of the CWFA Friday night into Saturday and high pressure builds in from the north. Actually, near normal values are anticipated - so these temps are not unusual for this time of year. Moisture will begin to increase late Saturday into early Sunday morning ahead of a low pressure system approaching from the Gulf Coast. The ECMWF and GFS are in better agreement with overall synoptic pattern, however the GFS is slightly faster with the onset of precip than the ECMWF. With near normal temperatures in place across northern GA...this means that some wintry precip is possible...especially across the higher elevations. Both the GFS and ECMWF keep the best cold air aloft just to the north of the TN/GA state line until Sunday morning, but there is still some potential for a mix of rain/snow/sleet and some freezing rain in the mountains since surface temperatures will be near freezing across much of the north. Still too far out to talk about accumulations, but warm ground temps could play a large role. Further south, all rain is expected and totals up to an inch and a half are possible. For now, models are keeping precip chances with the Monday night/Tuesday night system fairly low. But, once again, with cold temperatures in place across far northern GA, there is some small potential for a wintry mix as this system moves through. In addition, if the current forecast holds, the coldest temperatures of the forecast period will be Tuesday night. NListemaa FIRE WEATHER... Low humidities this afternoon are expected to recover tonight to around 90 percent or higher as a cold front moves into far north Georgia late. Gusty Winds will increase 10 to 20 mph on Friday behind the front and there could be some low humidities of 25 to 30 percent in the afternoon over portions of east Georgia. Winds will be less on Saturday with some low humidities of 20 to 25 percent before moisture increases late Saturday and Saturday night. BDL && .AVIATION... 06Z Update... VFR conditions currently. Will see scattered to widespread MVFR conditions pushing into northwest Georgia and spreading southeast through 12Z. Will likely see brief local IFR or lower conditions with line of convection approaching. This line will slowly diminish as it pushes south and east but should maintain thunder through the Atlanta and Athens TAF sites. Only carrying showers into the Columbus and Macon TAF areas. VFR conditions expected across the region by 18Z. Southwest winds 6KT or less become more westerly and increase to 5-10kt by 12Z and eventually northwest 10-15KT with gusts 20-25KT. //ATL Confidence...06Z Update... Medium on MVFR cigs and timing/extent of showers/tstorms. High on remaining elements. 20 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Athens 36 60 40 51 / 0 10 90 60 Atlanta 39 62 42 52 / 0 10 90 60 Blairsville 30 53 33 47 / 0 20 90 40 Cartersville 34 59 37 51 / 0 20 90 30 Columbus 42 67 47 58 / 0 10 90 60 Gainesville 36 58 39 50 / 0 10 90 60 Macon 39 63 45 56 / 0 0 80 60 Rome 34 59 36 51 / 0 20 90 30 Peachtree City 36 62 41 54 / 0 10 90 60 Vidalia 43 66 48 58 / 0 0 40 80 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 5 AM EST early this morning for the following zones: Chattooga...Dade...Floyd...Walker. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 1008 PM EST Thu Mar 9 2017 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-110315- 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- 1008 PM EST Thu Mar 9 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and Central Georgia. .DAY ONE...Tonight... Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are possible over far north Georgia late tonight with more isolated activity for the remainder of North Georgia. Strong gusty winds...large hail and frequent lightning will be the main hazards. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday... Isolated strong thunderstorms are possible over north and portions of central Georgia Friday. Strong gusty winds...large hail and Frequent lightning will be possible with any strong thunderstorms. A wintry mix of precipitation is possible across portions of far north Georgia Saturday night into Sunday morning. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Due to the limited areal extenet of greatest potential for severe storms...Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The Dade County Emergency Manager reported more than 50 trees blown down across the county.
The Georgia Department of Transportation reported a tree blown down onto I-75 near mile marker 345.
The Forsyth County Emergency Manager reported a few trees blown down from around the intersection of Georgia Highway 400 and Highway 141 to Buford Dam Road.
The public reported several large trees blown down on Waterbury Way.
The Douglas County Emergency Manager reported numerous trees and power lines blown down across the northern and eastern portion of the county. Locations include Bakers Bridge Road at Sweetwater Church Road, Highway 120 at Chapel Hill Road, Lee Road at County Line Road, Brookmont Parkway at Brookhollow Drive, Dallas Highway at Lincoln Street, Fairburn Road, North Helton Road at Watkins Mill Road, Woodcreek Way at Dogwood Way, and many other locations. Many homes and business had damage from falling trees. No injuries were reported.
The public reported quarter size hail off Westbourne Drive.
A National Weather Service survey team found 6 trees snapped and a couple of trees uprooted around the intersection of Brooks Road and Gable Road.
The Butts County 911 center reported a tree blown down onto power lines along Southern Shores Road.
The Troup County 911 center reported several trees blown down across the center of the county. Locations include Waverly Way, Patillo Road, Poplar Circle, Knott Road at Smokey Road, Barltley Road, Flat Shoals Church Road at Salem Farm Road, and on New Franklin Road where a tree fell on a house. No injuries were reported.
The Jasper County 911 center reported trees blown down on Highway 16 west of Monticello and along Clay Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, March 2017
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: 689128, 689129, 689132, 689133, 689135, 689130, 689131, 689136, 689137, 689140.