Despite very limited instability, a strong short wave and associated cold front resulted in a narrow band of showers and thunderstorms which swept through the region during the evening resulting in isolated reports of damaging winds across portions of north Georgia.
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.
Despite very limited instability, a strong short wave and associated cold front resulted in a narrow band of showers and thunderstorms which swept through the region during the evening resulting in isolated reports of damaging winds across portions of north Georgia.
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 18, 6:57 PM EST, 1 hour 33 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 657 PM EST Sat Nov 18 2017 .PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 234 PM EST Sat Nov 18 2017/ SHORT TERM /Tonight through Sunday Night/... Strong frontal system progged to push quickly across the area, driven by amplifying upper trough currently across the east central plains and western TN Valley. Forecast continues to have a rapidly progressing line of showers impinging the NW CWA by 7-8 PM this evening, near the Atlanta Metro and west central CWA by 9-10 PM then quickly skirting the remainder of the area by 4-5 AM Sunday. Models continue to have low end elevated instability near 100-200 J/kg so kept slight chance thunder mention. Given the strong shear parameters and some diffluence aloft aiding the frontogenetic forcing, cannot rule out a few strong convective cells with enhanced downdraft winds and a few rumbles of thunder, though greatest chance of this should be confined to the NW CWA this evening. Enhanced gradient winds will likely be of more impact with the system as the low deepens to the north with strong CAA on the heels of the fropa. Wind Advisory continues for north GA through 12z Sunday. NW fetch will still be enhanced and gusty through Sunday, though below advisory levels. While skies will be mostly clear due to quick ridging/subsidence in the wake of the front, highs Sunday should only make it into the low to mid 50s for most areas given the aforementioned strong CAA. This has warranted a Freeze Watch Sunday night into Monday morning for all areas except the southern tier of central GA. The frost/freeze program ends Nov. 20, therefore even if frost or freeze conditions are forecast, agricultural interests will not warrant Watch, Warning, or Advisory issuances. Baker LONG TERM /Monday through Saturday/... Models continue to diverge for the forecast for mid to late next week. High pressure and mostly fair conditions are expected for the early part of next week. Temperatures slightly below normal are anticipated. There is a slight chance for showers across the southern and east central portion of the CWFA and QPF amounts remain very light. The models begin to show some significant differences beginning Wednesday into Thursday. Both the GFS and the ECMWF have a southward digging longwave trough and a closed low pressure. The GFS is a bit faster and further north with the development of the closed low at 500mb than the ECMWF. The ECMWF develops a closed low at the surface a little faster than the GFS, but both models show the best potential for measurable precip remains across the far southern portion of the CWFA and have upped the pops to around 30% in the far southern zones. NListemaa && .AVIATION... 00Z Update... Front moving through AL and will push into NW GA within the next few hours. The line of SHRA/TSRA will move into the ATL area by 03-05z so expecting mainly gusty winds as they move through. Winds are blowing out of the SW and will turn to the NW after the line moves through. Wind speeds are in the 08-12kt range but will increase as the line moves through with speeds reaching the 15-20kt range gusting to 35kt. Ceilings are in the MVFR range and should stay there until they lift after the frontal passage. Will see VFR conditions by 08z-10z with things clearing out by 15z- 18z. //ATL Confidence...00Z Update... Confidence medium to high on all elements 01 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Athens 44 55 31 58 / 70 5 0 0 Atlanta 43 52 32 57 / 70 5 0 0 Blairsville 37 47 25 57 / 90 5 0 0 Cartersville 42 51 29 57 / 80 0 0 0 Columbus 48 58 34 61 / 60 5 0 0 Gainesville 43 52 32 57 / 80 5 0 0 Macon 48 58 31 60 / 60 10 0 0 Rome 41 51 28 58 / 80 0 0 0 Peachtree City 44 54 29 59 / 70 5 0 0 Vidalia 54 63 36 62 / 40 10 0 0 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Freeze Watch from Sunday evening through Monday morning for the following zones: Baldwin...Banks...Barrow...Bartow...Bibb... Butts...Carroll...Catoosa...Chattooga...Cherokee...Clarke... Clayton...Cobb...Coweta...Crawford...Dade...Dawson...DeKalb... Douglas...Fannin...Fayette...Floyd...Forsyth...Gilmer... Glascock...Gordon...Greene...Gwinnett...Hall...Hancock... Haralson...Heard...Henry...Jackson...Jasper...Jefferson... Jones...Lamar...Lumpkin...Madison...Meriwether...Monroe... Morgan...Murray...Newton...North Fulton...Oconee...Oglethorpe... Paulding...Peach...Pickens...Pike...Polk...Putnam...Rockdale... South Fulton...Spalding...Taliaferro...Towns...Troup...Twiggs... Union...Upson...Walker...Walton...Warren...Washington...White... Whitfield...Wilkes...Wilkinson. Wind Advisory until 7 AM EST Sunday for the following zones: Banks...Barrow...Bartow...Carroll...Catoosa...Chattooga... Cherokee...Clarke...Clayton...Cobb...Coweta...Dade...Dawson... DeKalb...Douglas...Fannin...Fayette...Floyd...Forsyth...Gilmer... Gordon...Gwinnett...Hall...Haralson...Heard...Henry...Jackson... Lumpkin...Madison...Murray...Newton...North Fulton...Oconee... Paulding...Pickens...Polk...Rockdale...South Fulton...Towns... Union...Walker...Walton...White...Whitfield. && SHORT TERM...01 LONG TERM....17 AVIATION...01
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 150 PM EST Sat Nov 18 2017 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-191900- 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- 150 PM EST Sat Nov 18 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and Central Georgia. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight... ...Wind Advisory In Effect For North and Most of Central Georgia... A strong cold front will cross the area later this evening into tonight. Ahead of the front, showers and a few thunderstorms are possible mainly across far northern Georgia. Although, severe thunderstorms are not anticipated, a few strong storms are possible. A Wind Advisory is in effect for much of northern Georgia...mainly along and north of a line from Heard to Newton to Madison Counties. Southwest winds of 15 to 25 mph will shift to the northwest behind a cold front. Gusts between 30 and 40 mph possible, especially in the higher elevations of northern Georgia. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday... Much colder air will filter in behind the front and a Freeze Watch has been issued accordingly Sunday night into Monday morning for north Georgia and portions of central Georgia. The main area is along and north of a LaGrange to Fort Valley to Louisville line. Otherwise, no other hazardous weather is expected. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
739 PM EST SAT NOV 18 2017
GAZ001-002-190130-
Walker GA-Dade GA-
739 PM EST SAT NOV 18 2017
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN WALKER AND DADE
COUNTIES UNTIL 830 PM EST...
At 738 PM EST...a line of strong thunderstorms was along a line
extending from near Tracy City to near Union Grove...and moving east
at 50 mph.
HAZARD...40 to 50 mph wind and heavy rain.
IMPACT...Expect minor damage to tree limbs and blowing around of
light...unsecured objects. Heavy rain may cause temporary
street flooding especially in poor drainage areas.
Some locations in the path of these storms include
Chattanooga, Trenton, Rossville, Lookout Mountain, Rising Fawn, Cole
City, Wildwood, Stephensville, Chattanooga Valley, New England,
Morganville, Cloudland Canyon State Park, Hooker and Fairview.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
People outdoors should seek shelter immediately. Motorists should
slow down and be prepared for possible loss of control due to
hydroplaning.
LAT...LON 3499 8527 3461 8553 3498 8560
TIME...MOT...LOC 0038Z 272DEG 45KT 3529 8574 3441 8636
WIND...50MPHSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
812 PM EST SAT NOV 18 2017
GAZ002>004-011-019-190200-
Chattooga GA-Whitfield GA-Catoosa GA-Walker GA-Floyd GA-
812 PM EST SAT NOV 18 2017
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CHATTOOGA...WHITFIELD...
CATOOSA...WALKER AND FLOYD COUNTIES UNTIL 900 PM EST...
At 812 PM EST...a line of strong thunderstorms was along a line
extending from Falling Water to near Arona...and moving east at 50
mph.
HAZARD...Winds up to 40 mph.
IMPACT...Expect minor damage to tree limbs and blowing around of
light...unsecured objects.
Some locations in the path of these storms include
Rome, Dalton, Lafayette, Summerville, Ringgold, Fort Oglethorpe,
Chickamauga, Trion, Varnell, Lookout Mountain, Cave Spring, Tunnel
Hill, Cohutta, Shannon, Lyerly, Menlo, Center Post, Subligna,
Fairview and Beaverdale.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
People outdoors should seek shelter immediately.
LAT...LON 3499 8482 3480 8484 3478 8488 3472 8486
3471 8494 3468 8489 3467 8489 3468 8494
3462 8493 3462 8506 3441 8510 3440 8505
3408 8530 3408 8542 3462 8554 3476 8545
3490 8542 3498 8536
TIME...MOT...LOC 0112Z 279DEG 42KT 3519 8529 3420 8605
WIND...40MPHThe Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 54 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:28 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Dade County 911 center reported a tree blown down near the intersection of Sunset Drive and Highway 136.
The Paulding County 911 center reported a tree blown down near the intersection of Brownsville Road and Bramlett Way.
The Carroll County Emergency Manager and the 911 center reported trees blown down on Tara Drive and near the intersection of Highway 16 and Little New York Road. The tree that fell on Tara Drive struck an unoccupied car.
The Douglas County 911 center reported a tree blown down near the intersection of Cole Road and Ephesus Church Road.
The Coweta County 911 center reported a tree blown down in the 700 block of Dyer Road.
The Coweta County 911 center reported trees and power lines blown down on Ball Street in Newnan and near the intersection of Bob Smith Road and Stewart Road near Sharpsburg.
The Fulton County 911 center reported a tree blown down on Oakley Industrial Boulevard near Creekwood Drive.
The Fayette County 911 center reported a tree blown down near the intersection of North Peachtree Parkway and Interlochen Drive.
The Meriwether County 911 center reported a tree blown down near the intersection of Highway 85 and Callaway 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, November 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: 725509, 725512, 725510, 725511, 725513, 725514, 725515, 725516, 725517.