A storm system brewing in the west could trigger a severe weather outbreak over parts of the Southeast, but the forecast for North Georgia is looking milder.
While severe weather remains a possibility, most of the storm energy will knocked out of the system by the time it crosses into Georgia early Thursday morning, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan. An area from Atlanta west to Alabama is under an enhanced Level 2 risk of severe storms.
“The heavy rain, the lightning, the threat for some strong storms, that will be tonight,” Monahan said Wednesday. “Today, though, is gonna be a beautiful day with temperatures up into the 80s.”
Up until about midnight, Monahan is expecting dry and warm conditions. Atlanta’s projected high is 81 degrees, which is more than 10 degrees above average for this time of year. It’s the kind of weather that feels great to everyone but allergy sufferers.
Pollen levels remained in the high range Tuesday with a count of 339 particles per cubic meter of air. On Wednesday, that number rose dramatically to 2,431, the first time this season Atlanta has recorded a four-digit pollen count in the extreme range.
Tree pollens like pine, oak, sweet gum, sycamore and birch were the primary contributors, according to Atlanta Allergy and Asthma, the organization that tracks the daily pollen count.
All that pollen will be blown around by high winds moving in ahead of the storm system, according to Monahan. A wind advisory is scheduled to go into effect for much of the region at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Monahan expects gusts up to about 20 mph this afternoon, and wind speeds in northwest Georgia could top 45 mph this evening as the system approaches.
The advisory is scheduled to expire at 8 a.m. Thursday.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
“Very powerful upper-level wind, tons of storm energy, that’s going to mean big tornadoes I think in parts of Mississippi and Alabama, and Arkansas and Louisiana as well,” Monahan said. “Same spots as last week. This will weaken, though, as it comes into North Georgia.”
The region will have “limited instability to work with” when the storms arrive after midnight, he said. Monahan expects heavy rain to enter northwest Georgia about 2 a.m. and make its way south toward the city before daybreak. It could make for some very messy conditions at the start of the Thursday morning drive.
Monahan expects the heavy rain to wrap up by about 8 a.m. He is forecasting a high of 74 degrees Thursday as North Georgia dries out, and things turn much cooler Friday with lows in the 40s and a projected high of only 66 degrees.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
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