A weak upper-level low combined with strong afternoon heating resulting in a moderately unstable atmosphere to produce isolated strong to severe thunderstorms in the afternoon and early evening.
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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 weak upper-level low combined with strong afternoon heating resulting in a moderately unstable atmosphere to produce isolated strong to severe thunderstorms in the afternoon and early evening.
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 Jul 27, 2:22 PM EST, 2 hours 8 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 322 PM EDT Mon Jul 27 2020 .SHORT TERM /Tonight through Tuesday Night/... Pattern in the short term will be dominated by a weak upper tropical-like low over the mid-south, progged to drift east into AL by 00Z Wed. Deep moisture and subtle lift expected to enhance clouds and coverage of diurnal convection Tues. Could even see tropical-like convection persist or redevelop overnight Tuesday night. PW values increase to 2.0 to 2.2 inches from current values which have been around 1.75, so with that and deeper moisture profile, should see more efficient rain producing storms and lower diurnal temperature ranges. Steering flow will still be extremely weak, so will need to watch more closely for isolated areas of flash flooding starting Tues. SNELSON .LONG TERM /Wednesday through Monday/... As the extended period begins, upper level ridging and surface high pressure to the east of the forecast area will allow for the continued advection of deep moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. This tropical airmass will remain in place over north and central Georgia through the end of the work week. Meanwhile, a cold front dropping south and east from the Ohio River Valley is expected to stall near the Tennessee/Kentucky border, which will provide a focus for showers and thunderstorms across the northern portion of the forecast area. As a result of the tropical moisture and the stalled frontal boundary, likely to categorical PoPs are expected across north Georgia from Wednesday through Friday, along with high-end chance PoPs across central Georgia, with the highest chances each afternoon and evening. On Friday, a shortwave will rotate around the eastern side of a subtropical ridge positioned over the western CONUS. Model guidance is fairly consistent in indicating that the shortwave and an associated surface low will amplify before moving slowly northeastward from eastern Oklahoma towards the Ohio Valley region through the weekend. A decrease in PoPs is possible this weekend to the east of this system as weak high pressure and relatively drier air build in over Georgia. However, rain chances will increase once again at the end of the period as a cold front extending southward from the surface low pushes through the forecast area, providing a broad area of lift for precipitation. Increased cloud cover, along with the higher rain chances, will inhibit temperatures through the remainder of the week. High temperatures are expected to run below average each afternoon, especially so in north Georgia, where overcast skies and numerous showers and thunderstorms will limit highs to the low to mid 80s. Elsewhere in the forecast area, highs are expected to reach into the upper 80s and low 90s. As PoPs decrease over the weekend, warmer temperatures are anticipated to follow suit, particularly across portions of central Georgia, where highs could reach into the upper 90s. Activity in the tropics is still possible towards the end of the period, with a potential system approaching the Atlantic Coast. In spite of ensemble support for the development of this system, much uncertainty remains with respect to the track and intensity of any potential cyclone. Furthermore, any possible impacts to the forecast area are well beyond the extended forecast period. Considering the uncertainty and the length of time, it remains too early to discuss any possible local impacts with any degree of confidence. King && .AVIATION... 18Z Update... VFR conditions expected with some brief vsby reductions due to heavier TSRA. Coverage of SHRA/TSRA this afternoon/evening enough to mention TEMPO at all sites except KCSG. Greater coverage expected Tuesday afternoon. Sfc winds to remain light W thru the period. //ATL Confidence...18Z Update... Medium on TSRA coverage this afternoon. High on all other elements. SNELSON && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Athens 72 93 72 87 / 20 50 40 60 Atlanta 73 88 72 85 / 20 60 50 60 Blairsville 65 83 67 81 / 40 60 50 70 Cartersville 70 89 71 85 / 30 60 50 70 Columbus 73 90 72 88 / 20 60 50 60 Gainesville 71 90 71 85 / 30 60 50 60 Macon 73 92 72 88 / 20 60 40 60 Rome 71 89 72 87 / 30 60 50 70 Peachtree City 72 89 71 86 / 20 60 50 60 Vidalia 76 94 74 89 / 20 60 40 60 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...SNELSON LONG TERM....King AVIATION...SNELSON
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 1155 AM EDT Mon Jul 27 2020 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-281600- 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- 1155 AM EDT Mon Jul 27 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and Central Georgia. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight... Scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms are forecast across the area. Some storms could be strong to briefly severe with strong winds, frequent lightning, and heavy rainfall as the primary threats. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday... Scattered thunderstorms are expected each day across the area. A few storms may be strong to briefly severe with damaging winds, frequent lightning, hail, and locally heavy rainfall. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
426 PM EDT Mon Jul 27 2020
GAZ020-021-272100-
Cherokee GA-Bartow GA-
426 PM EDT Mon Jul 27 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN CHEROKEE AND
SOUTHEASTERN BARTOW COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM EDT...
At 426 PM EDT...a strong thunderstorm was over Red Top Mountain State
Park, or near Cartersville...moving east at 15 mph.
HAZARD...Up to 40 mph wind...pea sized hail and frequent cloud to
ground lightning.
IMPACT...Expect minor damage to tree limbs and blowing around of
light...unsecured objects.
Some locations in the path of this storm include
Canton, Cartersville, Woodstock, Holly Springs, Emerson, Kellogg
Creek, Red Top Mountain State Park, Oak Grove, Little River Landing,
George Washington Carver St Pk, Lebanon, Sutallee, Hobgood Park and
Bridgemill.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
People outdoors should seek shelter immediately. If you can hear
thunder...you are close enough to be struck by lightning.
LAT...LON 3431 8447 3407 8444 3408 8461 3408 8478
3423 8480
TIME...MOT...LOC 2026Z 263DEG 13KT 3416 8471
HAIL...0.25IN
WIND...40MPHSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
448 PM EDT Mon Jul 27 2020
GAZ093>095-272115-
Macon GA-Peach GA-Houston GA-
448 PM EDT Mon Jul 27 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN MACON...SOUTHERN
PEACH AND SOUTHWESTERN HOUSTON COUNTIES UNTIL 515 PM EDT...
At 448 PM EDT...a strong thunderstorm was near Winchester, or 10
miles northeast of Oglethorpe...moving north at 10 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, Montezuma, Marshallville, Saint Louis, Moss Oak, Meadowdale,
Winchester and Henderson.
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 3251 8406 3251 8403 3250 8403 3250 8402
3251 8401 3254 8369 3230 8377 3230 8401
TIME...MOT...LOC 2048Z 184DEG 10KT 3238 8390
WIND...40MPHThe Atlanta radar (KFFC), 97 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:30 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
The public reported trees blown down from Devonshire Way southwest of Cumming to Mainsail Drive on Lake Lanier.
The Hall County Emergency Manager reported a house struck by lightning in the 2000 block of Jack Bryant Circle with minor damage in the attic.
The Banks County Emergency Manager reported trees and power lines blown down in the Gillsville area from Herbert Segars Road to around the intersection of Highway 51 and John Morris Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, July 2020
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: 903065, 903061, 903067.