A very tight surface pressure gradient associated with a low lifting northeast out of the Gulf of Mexico and trekking across south and central Georgia produced strong winds across the area during the afternoon and evening hours. Combined with nearly saturated soils from recent heavy rains, these winds blew down a few trees across portions of central and north Georgia.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 very tight surface pressure gradient associated with a low lifting northeast out of the Gulf of Mexico and trekking across south and central Georgia produced strong winds across the area during the afternoon and evening hours. Combined with nearly saturated soils from recent heavy rains, these winds blew down a few trees across portions of central and 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 Dec 22, 12:31 PM EST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 1231 PM EST Sun Dec 22 2019 .PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 1006 AM EST Sun Dec 22 2019/ UPDATE... Low pressure is currently situated just south of the western Florida panhandle. This low center will continue to move northward today and finally come onshore during the early evening hours. Widespread rainfall will also continue for the remainder of the afternoon into the overnight hours. Winds will begin to increase through the afternoon and evening as the gradient tightens as the low moves onshore. Winds have lagged a bit this morning and have made some tweaks to the wind/gust grids. However, models have been very consistent with the highest winds occurring during the evening hours. SHORT TERM /Today through Monday/... PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 623 AM EST Sun Dec 22 2019/ PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 255 AM EST Sun Dec 22 2019/ SHORT TERM /Today through Monday/... Locally Windy Conditions and Saturated Soils Will Lead To Downed Trees... Regional synoptic analysis indicates closed upper low now moving into the lower Mississippi Valley which is increasing the diffluence aloft over the local area. Meanwhile, the surface reflection of this feature is over the northern Gulf of Mexico and while high over Carolinas acts in tandem with this to wedge in the local area. Increasing isentropic upglide is the end result with expanding light rain shield moving in. QPF very light to this point and zero instability nearly region wide is preventing any lightning at this time. For the remainder of today, surface low will trek slightly north and east into the Florida panhandle and strengthen the gradient significantly with aforementioned Carolinas high. Of more concern is the low level jet all the way down to 925mb that is in excess of 60 kts at times and moves into the Central GA zones and up to I20 by the afternoon hours. Inversion and strengthening wedge should keep most of this aloft but still somewhat concerning, especially for eastern zones as we get some measure of instability late today. Newest gusts values fall short of high wind warning and will transition to Wind Advisory for now. Strongest winds will actually be this evening, so still an opportunity for day shift to upgrade if need be. Regardless of the product out, downed trees are to be expected with the saturated soils and will be highlighted in advisory and HWO. Otherwise, a soaker definitely in store for the next 48 hours with values perhaps slightly less than previous model runs but still a solid 3 plus inches along I16 with locally higher amounts should we get any convective elements going later today. Dry slot to move in form the south on Monday up to the southern Atlanta metro, but still socked in for the North Ga portion with likely to categorical pops right through Mon afternoon. Deese LONG TERM /Monday Night through Saturday/... As low pressure moves into the Atlantic, lingering rain chances will diminish Monday night and very early Tuesday. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be dry with temperatures generally well above normal. A weak cold front approaches the area Saturday leading to just chance pops over n GA Friday night and across most of the area on Saturday. Instability is very limited so am leaving the chance for thunderstorms out at this time. Temperatures will continue above normal through the long term period. BDL && .AVIATION... 18Z Update... CIGS are beginning to transition to IFR at the northern terminal sites. Do think CIGs will hold between 005-007 for most of the overnight. Some of the higher res models are progging some IFR cigs at the metro TAF sites, but not confident enough to add those at this time, especially with the wind speeds. Winds will remain out of the E/NE and will become very gusty. Gusts should begin to diminish tomorrow morning below 25kt. //ATL Confidence...18Z Update... Med confidence all elements. NListemaa && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Athens 45 43 54 50 / 100 100 90 60 Atlanta 46 45 54 50 / 100 100 70 50 Blairsville 48 43 57 43 / 100 100 90 30 Cartersville 48 45 57 46 / 100 100 80 30 Columbus 51 48 56 51 / 100 90 50 40 Gainesville 45 43 55 50 / 100 100 90 50 Macon 49 47 56 50 / 100 100 70 60 Rome 49 46 56 46 / 100 100 80 20 Peachtree City 47 45 55 49 / 100 100 70 50 Vidalia 53 53 61 52 / 100 100 80 50 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flood Watch through Tuesday morning for the following zones: Baldwin...Banks...Barrow...Bibb...Bleckley...Butts...Carroll... Chattahoochee...Clarke...Clayton...Cobb...Coweta...Crawford... Crisp...DeKalb...Dodge...Dooly...Douglas...Emanuel...Fayette... Glascock...Greene...Gwinnett...Hall...Hancock...Harris...Heard... Henry...Houston...Jackson...Jasper...Jefferson...Johnson... Jones...Lamar...Laurens...Macon...Madison...Marion... Meriwether...Monroe...Montgomery...Morgan...Muscogee...Newton... North Fulton...Oconee...Oglethorpe...Paulding...Peach...Pike... Pulaski...Putnam...Rockdale...Schley...South Fulton...Spalding... Stewart...Sumter...Talbot...Taliaferro...Taylor...Telfair... Toombs...Treutlen...Troup...Twiggs...Upson...Walton...Warren... Washington...Webster...Wheeler...Wilcox...Wilkes...Wilkinson. Wind Advisory until 7 AM EST Monday for the following zones: Baldwin...Banks...Barrow...Bartow...Bibb...Bleckley...Butts... Carroll...Chattahoochee...Cherokee...Clarke...Clayton...Cobb... Coweta...Crawford...Crisp...Dawson...DeKalb...Dodge...Dooly... Douglas...Emanuel...Fayette...Floyd...Forsyth...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...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...Treutlen...Troup...Twiggs...Upson...Walton...Warren... Washington...Webster...Wheeler...White...Wilcox...Wilkes... Wilkinson. && SHORT TERM...NListemaa LONG TERM....BDL AVIATION...NListemaa
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 1007 AM EST Sun Dec 22 2019 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-231030- 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- 1007 AM EST Sun Dec 22 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and Central Georgia. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight... A low pressure system will move onshore this evening across the Florida panhandle and slowly move northeast across southern portions of Georgia. This system will bring widespread rainfall, heavy at times, to much of the outlook area. The heaviest rainfall is expected along and south of Interstates 20 and 85. Amounts will range from two to four inches with locally higher amounts possible. Please refer to the Flood Watch /ATLFFAFFC/ for additional details. Along with moderate to heavy rainfall, this low pressure system will also bring some strong, gusty winds. A Wind Advisory has been issued for portions of north and central Georgia...mainly along and south of a line from Calhoun to Cleveland. Please note that with he saturated soils, winds will easily uproot trees across the area which could then down powerlines. See the /ATLNPWFFC/ for additional details. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday... A flood watch will continue across central and portions of north Georgia on Monday. There could still be some localized stronger winds across the area as well. Otherwise, no hazardous weather is expected Tuesday through Saturday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The local broadcast media reported a large tree blown down near the intersection of Lloyd Road and Double Churches Road.
The local Electric Membership Corporation reported around 1000 customers without electricity due to trees blown down onto power lines in the Weybridge community.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, December 2019
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: 864778, 864779.