Severe storms expected through Monday across Georgia
Buckle up and get ready for severe weather, Georgia.
The northwest corner of the state and its western border along the Alabama line are under a level 3 of 5 risk for severe weather Sunday through early Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
“Severe weather is going to be likely in these areas and it’s going to be a little stronger in our western counties. And then a level 2 out of 5 for the rest of North Georgia,” said Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Ashley Kramlich.
The city of Atlanta, along with a wide swath of the state, is under a level 2 risk, as of 10 p.m. Sunday. The southeast corner of the state, including Vidalia, is under a level 1 threat that will increase to a level 3 on Monday.
The line of storms is expected to move in from the west after midnight and march across Georgia through the morning and into midday. The system brings the possibilities for tornadoes and damaging wind with gusts over 60 mph, or even exceeding 70 mph “in some pockets,” according to the Weather Service.
The worst of the storm will blow through the northwest corner of the state from 1-5 a.m. Monday. The peak of its fury will reach metro Atlanta between 4-8 a.m., though there is still some uncertainty about the exact timing, according to the NWS.
A tornado watch is in effect until 3 a.m. for far northwestern Georgia counties including Catoosa, Dade, Whitfield and Walker, according to the Weather Service.
The agency warns that “brief spin-up tornadoes are not completely out of the question north of I-85,” and areas along and south of the interstate could see severe weather.
Large hail is also possible.
The system will move into east and central Georgia on Monday morning through the early afternoon.
Expect much colder temperatures to rush in after the storms, according to the NWS forecast.
Some school systems are already adjusting schedules in anticipation of the storm. Rockdale County Public Schools will start 2 1/2 hours late Monday, the district announced, citing tornado threats and the possibility of downed trees causing power outages.
Schools in Bartow, Henry and Newton counties will operate on a two-hour delay, the districts announced.
“Weather forecasts indicate the potential for severe storms in our area during the early morning hours, including the possibility of strong thunderstorms, damaging winds, and isolated tornadoes. These conditions could impact travel during our normal bus routes and arrival times,” Newton County Schools said in a social media post Sunday.
Wide swaths of the U.S. are experiencing severe weather, including heavy snow in the Upper Midwest.
Parts of South Carolina all the way to Maryland appeared most likely to experience the greatest damaging winds Monday afternoon, according to a report from The Associated Press, citing the Weather Service.
That could include Raleigh, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia, and the nation’s capital, the AP reported.
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