A 2-pronged threat affected north and central Georgia during the morning and evening of March 25th as a cold front pushed through and stalled over the area. The front moved through and weakened over north Georgia through the morning, producing isolated reports of damaging wind gust.
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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 2-pronged threat affected north and central Georgia during the morning and evening of March 25th as a cold front pushed through and stalled over the area. The front moved through and weakened over north Georgia through the morning, producing isolated reports of damaging wind gust. By the afternoon, this front slowed and stalled across central Georgia, serving as a catalyst for additional severe thunderstorm development during the afternoon with multiple reports of large hail and damaging wind gusts.
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 25, 1:26 AM EST, 17 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 226 AM EDT Sat Mar 25 2023 ...Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued + 06Z Aviation Discussion... .UPDATE... Issued at 157 AM EDT Sat Mar 25 2023 A squall line with embedded strong to severe thunderstorms is continuing eastward across the Tennessee River Valley with a threat for severe damaging wind gusts and a decreasing, but still present, tornado threat. Boundary layer advection of warm, moist air out of the SSW will continue over the next several hours but may not be enough to overcome the warm, drier air between 900-600 hPa observed in a special sounding launched at 06Z. Mesoanalysis shows a sharp cutoff for low- to mid-level moisture near the GA/AL border which may be the separation line between severe thunderstorm development, and rapidly diminishing, elevated storms with a wind gust threat as the storm columns collapse and surge outward. Therefore, a Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for portions of North Georgia through 5 AM as the squall line pushed through the area, however the Watch may be expanded in time and space as needed. Thiem && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Saturday) Issued at 329 PM EDT Fri Mar 24 2023 After areas of morning clouds, this afternoon has shaped up to be another mostly sunny and very warm one as high pressure remains in control both at the surface and aloft. These tranquil conditions will persist through this evening but will come to an end beginning late tonight. Changes will come as a negatively tilted upper trough rapidly lift northeastward from the Central Plains toward the Great Lakes region from tonight into Saturday morning. The associated surface low will drag the trailing surface cold front eastward across the Tennessee Valley through this time. Ahead of the front, a line of thunderstorms will be ongoing. While this convective line will likely be on a very gradual weakening trend as it approaches our area during the predawn hours Saturday, it will continue to pose a strong to severe risk. Instability will be waning with MUCAPE generally in the 200-500 J/kg across northwest Georgia during the early morning, and the better forcing and more favorable dynamics will be lifting farther north with the aforementioned system. However, abundant wind energy will remain as 0-6km bulk shear values in the 50-70kt range will accompany the line. While a brief tornado threat is nonzero, the damaging wind gust threat will be the predominant concern with this line, particularly with any bowing segments. As far as timing is concerned, CAMs generally indicate the line will enter northwest Georgia during the very early morning hours and rapidly push southeast into the Atlanta metro by the predawn hours. Thereafter, a gradual weakening trend is expected to continue, but a sporadic damaging wind gust threat could linger. The focus will then turn to tomorrow afternoon and any followup severe thunderstorm potential. The surface cold front will push southward through the afternoon into an environment characterized by continued favorable deep-layer shear. With some degree of atmospheric recovery and destabilization expected, isolated to scattered convective redevelopment is possible ahead of the front by the afternoon, particularly for areas south of I-20. The primary limiting factor will be less defined forcing as the parent storm system will have lifted well to the north. Despite the expected sparser coverage and more conditional threat, any storms that are able to form could pose a damaging wind, hail, or even isolated tornado threat. Finally, a Wind Advisory has been issued for far north Georgia from 2 AM through 8 PM Saturday, primarily for higher elevations. Wind gusts from 30-40 mph are possible outside of any storm-related gusts. Elsewhere, while breezy conditions are expected, forecast winds and gusts are likely to remain just below Advisory criteria. RW && .LONG TERM... (Sunday morning through next Thursday) Issued at 329 PM EDT Fri Mar 24 2023 Rather active extended forecast is expected for Georgia, with wet pattern in place right from the start. Short-term's stalled front over south Georgia will lift northward Sunday, providing a focus for new storm development and persistent rainy conditions into Monday. Expect multiple waves of rain as solid southerly flow enhances moisture over the area and a series of shortwaves combine to reinvigorate the activity. While there are some discrepancies regarding the position of the highest QPF axis, model guidance is generally in line with showing approximately 0.5-1 inch of rain for Sunday and Sunday night, and another 1 to 1.5 inches south of I-20 for Monday and Tuesday. Isolated higher amounts (to 2.25 inches) are currently advertised for west central Georgia Monday and Tuesday. At this time, given the dry antecedent conditions and the manageable QPF in the Short Term, the main flooding concern appears to be Monday and Tuesday. In addition to the flooding threat, there is a conditional threat for strong to severe storms may also be possible Sunday -- generally over central Georgia -- with modeled MU/SBCAPE of at least 1000 J/kg, good lapse rates and moderate shear. At this time, the SPC has central Georgia in a Marginal Risk for severe storms Sunday and Sunday night. Expect a reprieve with clearing conditions Tuesday through Wednesday as dry zonal flow lingers only briefly. Moisture returns from the west Thursday (Euro brings it in late in the day, while GFS is ~12 hours earlier) as shortwave and surface front arrives. Unfortunately, as of now, next weekend looks wet again as frontal boundary stalls over the state. Warm highs are expected Sunday and Monday, with a return to more seasonal 60s to near 70 for Tuesday and Wednesday. Beyond that, another warming trend, with late week back into the 80s. Lows will generally be in the 50s and 60s, except behind the front Wednesday and Thursday mornings with lows in the 40s. 31 && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 157 AM EDT Sat Mar 25 2023 Low MVFR CIGs are moving into the area and expected to be widespread between 08-10Z with patchy IFR possible. A strong line of SHRA/TSRA will push SE through the forecast area, impacting the ATL area in the early morning between 09-13Z, with AHN/CSG soon to follow, and MCN by late morning. Winds generally SW between 10-15kts w/ gusts up to 30kts. Skies to clear quickly after TSRA passage, with VFR as early as 13Z at ATL with gusts continuing through 00Z. //ATL Confidence...06Z Update... Medium on all elements. Thiem && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Athens 56 79 59 74 / 10 40 70 50 Atlanta 57 78 61 74 / 20 40 70 50 Blairsville 49 75 52 72 / 10 20 60 30 Cartersville 52 80 57 76 / 10 30 70 40 Columbus 62 79 63 77 / 20 70 60 70 Gainesville 54 78 58 74 / 10 30 70 40 Macon 62 79 63 77 / 20 70 60 70 Rome 50 80 57 77 / 10 20 60 30 Peachtree City 56 78 60 75 / 20 50 70 60 Vidalia 66 82 65 80 / 10 50 40 60 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 8 PM EDT this evening for GAZ001>009-011>016. && SHORT TERM...Thiem LONG TERM....Vaughn AVIATION...Thiem
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 141 AM EDT Sat Mar 25 2023 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-260545- 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- 141 AM EDT Sat Mar 25 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and Central Georgia. .DAY ONE...Tonight... A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for northern Georgia this morning for an approaching line of strong to severe thunderstorms. The primary threat will be damaging winds,frequent lightning and isolated tornadoes. A Wind Advisory is in effect starting at 2 AM Saturday morning for portions of far north Georgia. Gusts up to 40 mph could bring down tree limbs and a few power outages may result. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday... Showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue Saturday morning through the afternoon as the cold front continues across the area. Some storms could be strong to severe, with the main risks being damaging wind gusts, frequent lightning, and a couple of isolated tornadoes. The Wind Advisory in far north Georgia will remain in effect until 8 PM Saturday evening. Gusts up to 40 mph could bring down tree limbs and a few power outages may result. There is the potential for multiple rounds of heavy showers and thunderstorms on Sunday through Tuesday, with strong to severe storms and isolated flash flooding possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight.
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 52 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:40 UTC.
10 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Mesonet station GA320 I-59 at SR-136 reported a wind gust of 62mph.
Report of tree down on Peyton Ln.
Report of tree down at intersection of Boynton Dr and Bookout Rd.
Report of tree down on Swanson Rd.
Report of a tree down across Catlett Rd.
Report of 3 trees and powerlines down at intersection of Dixon Industrial Blvd and Lake Ridge Court.
A brief tornado started in Cadwell on Academy St and lifted a porch roof off a manufactured home and destroyed a shed as well as a few trees and limbs downed. Minor, sporadic damage followed, as the tornado downed or snapped several small to medium sized trees as it moved southeast before lifting southeast of Snow Hill |Church Rd near Graham Rd.
A brief tornado started in Cadwell on Academy St and lifted a porch roof off a manufactured home and destroyed a shed as well as a few trees and limbs downed. Minor, sporadic damage followed, as the tornado downed or snapped several small to medium sized trees as it moved southeast before lifting southeast of Snow Hill |Church Rd near Graham Rd.
Tree and wires down at intersection of Meeks Rd and Hwy 441.
Quarter sized hail at the intersection of Perry Hwy and Truman Rd.
Report of tree down at US-199 and Thairdell Rd.
Report of tree down at Lothair Church Rd and Hwy 199.
Tree down at County Rd 117 AND C J Bedingfield Rd.
Half dollar sized hail reported along HWY 228 near LaCross Rd.
Report of 1.5 inch sized hail near Harrington St and Oak Park Hwy.
Golf ball sized hail reported at 911 call center in Soperton near intersection of Texas Avenue W and Second St.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Georgia, 2023Warnings in Georgia, March 2023
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: 1091635, 1091637, 1091638, 1091636, 1091639, 1091640, 1091336, 1091655, 1091641, 1091347, 1091643, 1091646, 1091642, 1091360, 1091349, 1091354.