Strong storms head out of metro Atlanta

Fast-moving storms marched across metro Atlanta on Friday.

A cold front charged down the southern Appalachians and into the state, pushing storms into the region that intensified as the cooler air clashed with moist, warmer air being drawn in by southwestern winds, according to the National Weather Service.

The storms began arriving in the state’s northwest corner around 8 a.m. and reached metro Atlanta around noon, bringing squalls that continued through the early afternoon. That timing coincided with the day’s peak heat, making the weather especially volatile near the city and even more so to the southeast.

Conditions began to clear around 5 p.m. in metro Atlanta.

The metro area was under a Level 2 of 5 risk for severe weather from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Damaging winds posed the greatest threat. Closer to the South Carolina border, there was a Level 3 threat.

A ground stop was issued at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport just after 1 p.m., and it remained in place until 3 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. As thunderstorms rumbled overhead, more than 450 flights were delayed and more than 15 were canceled.

The storms pushed in on the heels of severe weather that developed quickly Thursday and produced an EF2 tornado in Henry County, which left at least one person injured and caused damage to several structures, including one considered a total loss.