A developing surface low along a sharp cold front produced a line of thunderstorms that swept across portions of north and central Georgia. An area of very strong winds accompanied a portion of this line across several counties with numerous reports of downed trees, damaged structures and power outages.
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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 developing surface low along a sharp cold front produced a line of thunderstorms that swept across portions of north and central Georgia. An area of very strong winds accompanied a portion of this line across several counties with numerous reports of downed trees, damaged structures and power outages.
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 31, 9:24 AM EST, 21 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 1024 AM EDT Tue Mar 31 2020 .UPDATE... A Tornado Watch has been issued for the majority of central Georgia and portions of north Georgia, including the south metro area. This watch will be in effect until 4 PM EDT this afternoon.As a deepening surface low enters Alabama and approaches from the west, widespread convective showers have begun to spread into northwest Georgia. An area of instability across central Georgia to the south of a warm front is contributing to an area of instability and strong low-level shear. As a result, strong to severe thunderstorms remain possible across central and portions of north Georgia during the late morning and afternoon hours as the system approaches. A few tornadoes and damaging wind gusts will be the primary hazards with any severe thunderstorms that occur. King && .PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 700 AM EDT Tue Mar 31 2020/ UPDATE FOR AVIATION... PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 355 AM EDT Tue Mar 31 2020/ SHORT TERM /Today through Wednesday/... The main concern will be the possibility for severe weather today. SPC has highlighted a slight risk area covering a large portion of central GA and a marginal risk area up to Atlanta. This is due to surface low pressure forecast to move across central GA dragging a warm front into the area and a short wave moving across the forecast as well. This will give the possibility for a line of convective showers that could become severe storms as they move across the area roughly 11am to 6pm. The warm front will provide an area of instability and low level shear along and to the south. The main hazard will be gusty and possibly damaging winds. In the slight risk area, tornadoes and large hail will also be possible. Once the surface system passes, storm chances will diminish quickly and all rain chances will end tonight. Also as the surface system passes, the winds will increase for a period overnight with some areas getting to wind advisory criteria(20 mph sustained). Wednesday is expected to be dry as high pressure moves toward the area. Forecast high temperatures are running well below normal over N GA today and plus or minus several degrees of normal over central GA. Forecast high temperatures are running about 5-12 degrees below normal on Wednesday. Forecast low temperatures are running within a few degrees of normal for tonight. Overall confidence is medium. BDL LONG TERM /Wednesday Night through Monday/... High pressure in place at the beginning of the long term portion of the forecast. The high pressure ridge will begin to push offshore on Saturday ahead of a cold front entering the Lower Mississippi River Valley. The front will continue eastward late Saturday and eventually push south of the CWA late Sunday/early Monday. Not confident on exactly how far south the front will make it as it will be parallel to the mid level flow. Unsettled weather will prevail for early next week. A wave of low pressure is expected to interact with the old frontal boundary and bring a bit more widespread precip to the CWA. NListemaa AVIATION... 12Z Update... Increasing potential for MVFR-IFR ceilings through the day with showers and some thunderstorms, most likely over central GA. Improvement is expected to VFR tonight. Surface winds becoming NE-SE then ESE-SSW then W-N around 7-14 kts then 12-18 kts when the winds go W-N with gusts 22-28 kts. //ATL Confidence...12Z Update... Low to medium confidence for all elements. BDL && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Athens 62 43 64 42 / 90 60 0 0 Atlanta 61 42 61 42 / 90 30 0 0 Blairsville 52 37 54 36 / 90 50 5 0 Cartersville 58 39 60 39 / 90 20 0 0 Columbus 73 45 68 45 / 80 20 0 0 Gainesville 57 41 61 41 / 90 50 0 0 Macon 71 45 66 44 / 90 30 0 0 Rome 58 40 61 40 / 100 20 0 0 Peachtree City 64 42 63 41 / 90 20 0 0 Vidalia 78 50 67 48 / 90 60 0 0 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Tornado Watch until 4 PM EDT this afternoon for the following zones: Baldwin...Bibb...Bleckley...Butts...Chattahoochee... Clayton...Coweta...Crawford...Crisp...Dodge...Dooly...Fayette... Glascock...Greene...Hancock...Harris...Heard...Henry...Houston... Jasper...Jefferson...Johnson...Jones...Lamar...Laurens...Macon... Marion...Meriwether...Monroe...Morgan...Muscogee...Newton... Peach...Pike...Pulaski...Putnam...Rockdale...Schley...Spalding... Stewart...Sumter...Talbot...Taliaferro...Taylor...Troup... Twiggs...Upson...Warren...Washington...Webster...Wilcox... Wilkinson. && SHORT TERM...King LONG TERM....NListemaa AVIATION...BDL
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 517 AM EDT Tue Mar 31 2020 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-010930- 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- 517 AM EDT Tue Mar 31 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and Central Georgia. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight... A low pressure system will move across the southeast states today, bringing widespread showers and thunderstorms. A threat for severe weather exists, mainly for areas south of Interstate 20. Hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes are all possible with this system. To the north of this severe risk, the threat for heavy rain will exist which could lead to localized flooding. The most likely timing for any severe weather should be between noon and 7PM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday... No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters should monitor the latest information for possible activation across portions of central Georgia later today.
The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 66 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:43 UTC.
14 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Heard County Emergency Manager reported dozens of trees and power lines blown down across the northern portion of the county.
The Heard County Emergency Manager reported numerous trees and power lines blown down across southern portions of the county.
The Carroll County Emergency Manager reported a tree blown onto and damaging a house near the intersection of Cedar Street and Stewart Street.
The Coweta County Emergency Manager and several National Weather Service employees reported hundreds of trees and numerous power lines blown down across the county. Dozens of vehicles, homes and other structures were damaged. Over 20,000 customers were without electricity for much of the day with many not seeing power restored until late in the evening or early the next morning.
The Troup County Emergency Manager reported a shed blown over and damaged on Buck Murphy Road.
Local law enforcement, National Weather Service employees and the public reported numerous trees and power lines blown down across the county.
The Public reported a tree down across power lines in front of Mundy's Mill High School.
The local broadcast media reported a large tree blown down onto a car. No injuries were reported.
The Henry County Emergency Manager reported numerous trees and power lines blown down across the western portion of the county from the Henry County Airport to McDonough. The roofs were blown off of hangars at the airport and the roof was blown off of a shop in the Kellytown area. A large billboard was blown down and a warehouse was damaged in the vicinity of I-75 and Highway 155.
The Rockdale County Emergency Manager reported several trees blown down across the county.
The public reported a tree blown down at the Covington Park & Ride lot.
The Morgan County Emergency Manager reported trees and power lines blown down along the Eatonton Highway near I-20.
The Jones County 911 center reported trees blown down along River North Boulevard to Graham Road.
The Baldwin County 911 center reported several trees and power lines blown down along Jesse Scott 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, March 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: 878064, 878065, 878067, 878069, 878071, 878073, 878074, 878075, 878077, 878080, 878082, 878083, 878084, 878085.