Beware, metro Atlanta: A “significant” EF2 or higher tornado could spin up with this weekend’s storms, and weather experts are urging residents to be prepared.
A large portion of Georgia’s north and western half, including the state’s southwest corner, is under a Level 3 of 5 risk for severe weather Saturday and Sunday, the National Weather Service warns.
The exact timing of the storm’s arrival from the west is still being fine-tuned. But forecasters are fairly certain that Saturday evening — from roughly 8 p.m. and into the night — is when Atlanta will start to see blustering winds, heavy rain and thunder. Some strong thunderstorms could fire up ahead of that, though, so plan outdoor activities accordingly.
Credit: National Weather Service
Credit: National Weather Service
“All the ingredients are on the table to potentially see all severe weather hazards,“ NWS meteorologist Meredith Wyatt told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday.
It would not hurt to stay up later than normal Saturday or to turn up the volume for your weather alerts so that you wake up if a tornado watch or warning is issued for your area. Have a weather safety plan in place, as the severe storm threat will linger into early Sunday.
North Georgia and metro Atlanta will also see a slight risk of flash flooding from 8 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday.
The storms are part of a larger system expected to pour heavy rain over the western United States before roaring eastward, where it will dump large amounts of snow on the Great Plains and Upper Midwest, according to The Associated Press.
In the Southeast, the highest threat is in Alabama, where the risk for severe weather is a Level 4 of 5.
Though Georgia’s threat level is slightly lower, it is still high. A typical storm system will bring a Level 1 or 2 risk to metro Atlanta and North Georgia.
The NWS has been warning of the Level 3 threat since Tuesday, giving Atlanta area residents more time to prepare for the approaching storm than usual.
The agency issues such notices as soon as it has enough confidence in a forecast, explained Brett Albright, another NWS meteorologist. This system is strong enough and contains many severe weather components, so experts are very sure something will happen, Albright said. It’s just a matter of narrowing down when and where the worst of the storm might hit.
According to the Weather Service, it is “increasingly beginning to look as though a significant outbreak of supercells may take place” to the west of the metro area, closer to the Alabama border. How long that threat lasts will depend on how far east those storms hold together, as they can “remain potent well after sundown given the right environment.”
Though many unknowns remain, there is a high potential for violent weather.
“We want to emphasize that,” Wyatt said. “Make sure everyone is starting to make those preparations: knowing where your safe place is, making sure you’re communicating your weather safety plan to your friends and your family, making sure you’re all on board and knowing what to do when you receive a warning or if a watch is issued for your area.”
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