People living in metro Atlanta’s western counties should be prepared for storms as early as 6 a.m. Tuesday. But conditions could get much worse later in the morning when a second round of storms rolls through the metro area.
Channel 2 Action News Chief Meteorologist Glenn Burns said some of the current weather models show a possibility for a much stronger line of storms moving in around 10 a.m. to those western counties, and noon across Atlanta. Severe storms, he added, are not a certainty based on an analysis of current weather data.
“The main threats still appear to be damaging straight line winds and isolated tornadoes, lightning, and possible flooding northwest of Atlanta,” Burns said. “The front will move through by early afternoon and then some clearing by mid-afternoon.”
Late Monday, the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch until 7 a.m. for much of north Georgia and metro Atlanta. A watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes to develop.
Channel 2 Action News This Morning will begin 30 minutes early at 4 a.m. The news station will break into programming prior to the newscast if conditions warrant.
“It certainly could be a very wet and stormy commute on Tuesday,” Channel 2 Meteorologist Brad Nitz said earlier. “With any of these storms, we could see the severe weather potential and even the opportunity for isolated tornadoes to spin up.”
Before heading to work or sending the kids to the bus stop, check ajc.com for the latest forecast information.
Beginning at 2 a.m., storms are expected to begin moving into western Georgia from Alabama, Nitz said. Between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m., the storms will cover more of the Atlanta area, bringing the potential for damaging winds and hail at least an inch in diameter.
It’s the same band of storms that swept across Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma early Monday, killing at least one person and injuring four others, according to the Associated Press. Cities along the Mississippi River were in the path of the storms later Monday.
The Weather Service has also issued a flash flood watch for Tuesday for parts of north Georgia north of metro Atlanta, where rainfall totals could hit 3 inches. Metro Atlanta rainfall totals are expected to be between 1 and 2 inches, Nitz said. Additional watches or warnings are expected as the storms move across Georgia.
For information on keeping your family safe, visit the Georgia Emergency Management Agency website.
By 5 p.m. Tuesday, the potential for storms will have passed. Wednesday’s forecast includes clearing skies and cooler weather, with the high temperature expected to reach 68 degrees.
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