A severe weather outbreak is likely across the southeastern US on Saturday with the storms reaching North Georgia overnight Saturday.
The Storm Prediction Center has placed most of North and Central Georgia under an enhanced (level 3/5) risk for severe storms on Saturday into Saturday night, with a high-end moderate risk (level 4/5) to our west. This moderate risk will likely be expanded east as we get closer to the event to at least cover West Central and Northwest Georgia.
We are just now getting into range of the higher resolution weather models that will give us the best picture of timing and storm mode. Currently, the primary threats are expected to be damaging winds and tornadoes, although some hail and isolated flooding are also possible.
RELATED Northeast Georgia Weekend Forecast
All indications are that there will be a main line of storms with supercells ahead of it or embedded by the time it reaches North Georgia. Currently, we expect the worst to come from midnight Saturday through 6AM on Sunday, although that could easily change to begin earlier.
To our west, a potentially significant tornado outbreak is expected across much of Alabama and Mississippi. I’ve included the Significant Tornado Parameter from the end of the latest high-resolution NAM (North American Model) run that shows extremely elevated numbers moving into Alabama at 8PM on Saturday. This is the area that will eventually move into Georgia a few hours later, though likely weaker.
The latest lower-resolution NAM shows the storms arriving in North Georgia between 2-7AM on Sunday morning. Timing will be nailed down closer as we get closer to the event.
Stay tuned for the latest on this developing weather situation.
