An upper-level short wave sweeping southeast through the southern Appalachians spawned isolated severe thunderstorms across the region. Cold air aloft, associated with the short wave, produced large hail in portions of north and central Georgia.
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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.
An upper-level short wave sweeping southeast through the southern Appalachians spawned isolated severe thunderstorms across the region. Cold air aloft, associated with the short wave, produced large hail in portions of north and central Georgia. Enhanced shear along a warm front helped to produced an isolated tornado in northeast 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 Mar 17, 6:44 PM EST, 1 hour 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 744 PM EDT Sat Mar 17 2018 .PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 248 PM EDT Sat Mar 17 2018/ SHORT TERM /Tonight through Sunday Night/... Most of the showers have dissipated with a few remaining across central GA. These showers will continue shifting south and should be out of the CWA by 00Z. A weak short wave an associated cold front will move across the Tennessee Vally this evening. This could tap into some low level moisture as it move into the region bringing a chance of showers/tstorms to extreme northeast Georgia this evening/tonight. The cold front will move into central/south GA Sunday, however as the next short wave moves into the Mississippi Valley, the front will move north as a warm front. Significant isentropic lift along the warm front will bring increasing chance of showers and thunderstorms to the western part of the CWA late Sunday afternoon and across the entire CWA Sunday night. 17 LONG TERM /Monday through Saturday/... Mainly only tweaks to the long term based on the latest guidance. A wet and stormy period is still expected Monday into early Tuesday. BDL PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... A fairly aggressive system making its way into our area for the beginning of the extended forecast. High pressure builds back into the region for the middle to end of the 7 day forecast. The cold front that moves through the area today moves back northward as a warm front Sunday night with the next cold front directly on its heels. Beginning Sunday night/Monday morning, moist southwesterly flow sets up across the area as the warm front moves into central portions of the state. Instability indices increase across the state as a a strong piece of southern stream energy interacts with the warm front. This will produce periods of locally heavy rainfall and some isolated to scattered thunderstorms. Currently, the axis of heaviest rainfall is progged to be across central and south GA. Another bout of moderate to locally heavy rainfall is possible Monday night into Tuesday as the cold front moves through. As far a s the possible severe weather from this system the models are coming into a bit of better agreement as far as timing and intensity. Instability peaks Sunday evening then weakens Sunday night through early Monday morning. This should keep any thunderstorms to a minimum but would not be surprised to see strong thunderstorm during this time frame. The mid level lapse rates stay fairly steep...and some surface instability will be present so can not rule out a severe storm. Instabilities increase during the day Monday with muCAPE increasing into the 800-1800j/kg range and shear and lapse rate values staying up as well. There is not as much deep moisture present but with a secondary cold front sweeping around the parent low and daytime high temps in the 60s and 70s...the atmosphere will be primed for severe storms to develop. SPC also agrees and has placed the majority of the state under a slight risk for day 3 with NW and west central GA under a 10 percent hatched area for significant severe weather. Will be keeping a close eye on this over the next few days Behind the cold front, for the latter half of the week, colder than normal temps will return. will most likely have to issues some frost/freeze products Wed/Thu. 01 && .AVIATION... 00Z Update... Mainly passing cirrus expected thru this evening. Main question is to what extent and how far north potential MVFR ceilings will get across the TAF sites overnight. Given location of best moisture/precip...think MCN and CSG will have best chance for MVFR cigs with also some potential for fog and reduced vsbys. Further north across metro ATL and AHN there could be some scattered to perhaps BKN MVFR for a few hours but confidence is not high. Patchy fog will also be possible across northern sites but not thinking enough coverage or duration for vsby impacts. Showers and storms should remain outside of airport locations thru Sunday morning. Will see coverage increase from the west by late Sunday afternoon. West winds will continue at less than 10kts. //ATL Confidence...00Z Update... Low confidence on potential MVFR cigs overnight. High on all other elements. Kovacik && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Athens 54 74 53 65 / 10 10 80 70 Atlanta 55 73 55 68 / 5 20 80 70 Blairsville 46 68 48 62 / 30 5 70 70 Cartersville 51 71 53 69 / 10 20 80 70 Columbus 60 78 60 76 / 10 50 90 70 Gainesville 53 71 52 63 / 20 5 80 70 Macon 58 78 57 73 / 10 30 80 70 Rome 50 71 53 69 / 10 10 80 70 Peachtree City 55 74 56 71 / 5 30 90 70 Vidalia 61 79 60 75 / 20 5 80 70 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...17 LONG TERM....BDL AVIATION...Kovacik
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 748 PM EDT Sat Mar 17 2018 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-181200- 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- 748 PM EDT Sat Mar 17 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and Central Georgia. .DAY ONE...Tonight... Isolated thunderstorms are possible across far northeastern and central Georgia tonight. In far northeastern Georgia, a couple strong to severe thunderstorms may be possible with hazards including damaging winds, large hail, and very isolated tornadoes. This threat is expected to begin diminishing after nightfall. For central Georgia, weak thunderstorms with gusty winds, occasional lightning and locally heavy rain will be possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday... Isolated to widespread thunderstorms will also be likely from Sunday night into Tuesday morning. Within this wave of activity, there is a potential for strong to severe thunderstorms Monday. At this time, it appears that all severe thunderstorm hazards may be possible with storms that develop on Monday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
710 PM EDT SAT MAR 17 2018
GAZ103-104-172345-
Sumter GA-Webster GA-
710 PM EDT SAT MAR 17 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN SUMTER AND SOUTHERN
WEBSTER COUNTIES UNTIL 745 PM EDT...
At 710 PM EDT...a strong thunderstorm was over Parrott, or 9 miles
south of Preston...moving east at 45 mph.
HAZARD...Up to 40 mph wind...frequent cloud to ground lightning
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 this storm include
Americus, Plains, Leslie, De Soto, Weston, Desoto, Sumter, Lamar,
Croxton Crossroads, Huntington, Leveretts, Maddox, Centerpoint and
Chambliss.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
People outdoors should seek shelter immediately. If you can hear
thunder...you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Motorists
should slow down and be prepared for possible loss of control due to
hydroplaning.
LAT...LON 3197 8444 3193 8444 3192 8446 3192 8464
3202 8464 3207 8407 3197 8399 3191 8399
3192 8434 3187 8434
TIME...MOT...LOC 2310Z 263DEG 57KT 3193 8450
WIND...40MPHSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
736 PM EDT SAT MAR 17 2018
GAZ095-105-107-180000-
Dooly GA-Houston GA-Pulaski GA-
736 PM EDT SAT MAR 17 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN DOOLY...SOUTHERN
HOUSTON AND NORTHWESTERN PULASKI COUNTIES UNTIL 800 PM EDT...
At 736 PM EDT...a strong thunderstorm was over Henderson, or 7 miles
south of Perry...moving east at 30 mph.
HAZARD...Up to 40 mph wind...frequent cloud to ground lightning
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 this storm include
Perry, Hawkinsville, Unadilla, Hayneville, Browndale, Sand Bed,
Grovania, Elko, Grove Park, Ocmulgee Public Fishing Area, Moss Oak,
Hartford, Pulaski State Prison, Henderson, Klondike and Clinchfield.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
People outdoors should seek shelter immediately. If you can hear
thunder...you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Motorists
should slow down and be prepared for possible loss of control due to
hydroplaning.
LAT...LON 3226 8384 3242 8383 3249 8351 3245 8349
3245 8350 3244 8349 3242 8348 3241 8348
3240 8350 3236 8345 3227 8341
TIME...MOT...LOC 2336Z 259DEG 26KT 3236 8376
WIND...40MPHThe Robins AFB radar (KJGX), 43 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:54 UTC.
3 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Several reports of nickel and quarter size hail were received from the public, trained spotters and the Laurens County Emergency Manager in and around the city of Dublin.
Several reports of hail from the size of a quarter to the size of a lime were received from the public in the Ivy Log area. One photograph showed a hailstone measured at 2 1/8 inches.
The public reported half-dollar size hail north of Blairsville.
A National Weather Service survey team found that an EF1 tornado, with a maximum wind speed of 105 mph and a maximum path width of 630 yards, moved across northern White County. The tornado touched down at the Upper Chattahoochee River Campground in the Chattahoochee Wildlife Management area, just south of the Union County line. Hundreds of trees were blown down as the tornado travelled southeast across the northern portion of the Wildlife Management Area. The tornado passed out of the Chattahoochee WMA along Highway 17 north of Dyers Drive where it struck an RV resort containing dozens of recreational vehicles. Dozens of trees were blown down in the resort area destroying four buildings and an unoccupied trailer. Other large trees narrowly missed several occupied trailers in the park. Across Highway 17 from the resort, an entire stand of several hundred trees was snapped or uprooted along a ridge. This area around the RV resort and the ridge is where the tornado reached its maximum strength of 105 mph and width of 630 yards. The tornado quickly weakened after crossing the ridge but continued moving southeast through forest land snapping and uprooting trees. The path crossed Tray Mountain Road before ending north of Unicoi State Park along Anna Ruby Falls Road. In total, it is estimated that a thousand or more trees were snapped or uprooted along the entire path of this tornado. [03/17/18: Tornado #1, County #1/1, EF-1, White, 2018:004].
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Georgia, 2018Warnings in Georgia, March 2018
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: 740796, 740797, 740798, 740791.