A deep upper trough and an associated surface prefrontal trough translated from the Deep South into the Southeast during the morning hours. A long-lived QLCS containing strong to severe storms propagated along with the prefrontal trough, likely cold-pool dominated.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 CAE wrote it up.
A deep upper trough and an associated surface prefrontal trough translated from the Deep South into the Southeast during the morning hours. A long-lived QLCS containing strong to severe storms propagated along with the prefrontal trough, likely cold-pool dominated. This QLCS produced multiple reports of wind damage as well as multiple confirmed tornadoes.
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 Columbia, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 29, 6:20 AM EST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Columbia SC
620 AM EST Sun Dec 29 2024
.SYNOPSIS...
Today will be warmer and breezy with showers and thunderstorms
likely along and ahead of an approaching cold front, with some
severe thunderstorms possible. High pressure builds in behind
the front for Monday, before the next chance of rain arrives on
Tuesday. Cooler and drier conditions follow for the mid to late
week period.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
Key Message(s):
- Tornado Watch through 1 PM
- Damaging winds and a few tornadoes are possible
Convective line moving into eastern Georgia early this morning,
and should continue eastward at a steady clip moving through
the CWA. CSRA will be impacted from 7-9, central Midlands 9-11,
and eastern Midlands 10-1. Low level winds remain backed enough
to support large low level shear values, potentially supporting
a few short-lived tornadoes embedded within the main QLCS.
Tornado chances look slightly higher in the central and eastern
midlands where MUCAPE is a bit higher, allowing for stronger
effective shear. Damaging winds are possible everywhere as the
MCS moves through.
It will also be very mild today, in part supporting the
convective threat. High temps will be 10 or more degrees above
normal despite the clouds and rain.
The actual cold front will move through several hours after the
initial convective line during the late afternoon and early
evening. An isolated thunderstorm cannot be ruled out with that
line, but dry air moving in aloft will help counter an otherwise
favorable instability and shear profile.
High pressure will start to move in behind the system
overnight. The air mass behind the front is quite mild of east
Pacific origin, so min temps will remain well above normal.
&&
.SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...
Key Message(s):
- Even behind the front, wild weather continues through the
period.
Monday and Monday Night: Behind the exiting front, warm and dry
conditions are expected to prevail through Monday night. Most
guidance continues to show temperatures still above normal for
both daytime highs and overnight lows. Skies will have cleared
out and the area should see a good amount of sunshine through
the daytime hours. However, clouds will begin to increase again
Monday night ahead of the next approaching system.
Tuesday and Tuesday Night: The next chance for rainfall will
move in during the day Tuesday ahead of another storm system.
Much of the energy with this system will be passing off to our
north, and moisture will be somewhat limited. Best chance for
any rain will occur mainly over the northern Midlands into the
Pee Dee region Tuesday late morning into the afternoon. The
southern Midlands and CSRA are forecast to remain on the dry
side. Daytime highs still above normal ahead of the system, with
readings in the mid 60s north to the lower 70s across the
southeastern cwa. A cooler air mass moves in behind this system,
but temperatures Tuesday Night should still be above seasonal
values for the end of December.
&&
.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
Key Message(s):
- Cooling trend follows for the mid to late week period.
Not much change through the longer term. Cold front moves
through and east early in the period. This will be a front that
actually brings temperatures back down to around normal for the
end of December and early January as dry high pressure settles
into the region. The next chance of precipitation should hold
off until late next weekend.
&&
.AVIATION /12Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
High confidence in IFR/MVFR restrictions again dominating
through the day, with improvements to vfr beginning by 00z.
As a cold front continues moving towards the area early this
morning, winds off the surface are forecast to increase. These
winds aloft will also cause llws to occur at all locations
through the morning ahead of the front.
At issuance time of 12z, the main focus at all locations will
become the potential for convection moving into the area. Have
continued to tweak the timing for convection as it moves into
the CSRA sites of AGS/DNL, then into the Midlands later this
morning. Placed tempo periods indicating best chance for strong
to severe thunderstorm potential along with convective gusts to
40 mph.
Once the convection and front moves through, llws will abate,
and clouds will begin to lift into vfr at all locations,
especially after 00z tonight.
EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...Restrictions possible Tuesday
mainly at CAE/CUB as the next system rapidly moves through the
region.
&&
.CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SC...Lake Wind Advisory until 6 PM EST this evening for SCZ016-018-
020>022-025>031-035-037-038-041-115-116-135>137.
GA...Lake Wind Advisory until 6 PM EST this evening for GAZ040-
063>065-077.
&&The Columbia radar (KCAE), 123 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:21 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Broadcast media forwarded reports of tree damage near the intersection of Georgia highway 223 and US highway 221. Time estimated by radar.
Report of trees down at the intersection of highway 24 and Bailey Rd. Time estimated by radar.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, December 2024
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: 1221716, 1221715.