UPDATE [8:08 p.m.]: The severe weather risk for west Georgia and the western metro Atlanta area has been upgraded to a level 2 threat, Channel 2 Action News reported. The primary risks remain heavy rain and damaging winds, but isolated tornadoes are possible, Channel 2 meteorologist Brad Nitz said.
ORIGINAL STORY: For North Georgia, Monday was fairly warm with little in the way of rain.
That will change overnight, however, when a storm system that’s been battering Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama moves into metro Atlanta, Channel 2 Action News chief meteorologist Glenn Burns said.
First predicted to hit late Monday evening, the time frame has steadily been pushing back, Burns said. Those storms are now expected to hit in the overnight hours, with the last few hitting as late as 6 a.m.
That’s mostly good news, since these storms have been fueled by daytime heating, meaning that the system will move into Georgia when the moon is out — not the sun.
“It’s going to move into northern Georgia during the coolest part of the day,” Burns said. “(That’s) certainly some good news there.”
Tornado warnings were omnipresent across the storm system’s path Monday, including a death in Rosepine, La., Channel 2 meteorologist Brad Nitz said. He said Georgia’s risk of a spin-up tornado is only 2%.
However, he said wind speeds could still be 40 to 60 mph, so severe thunderstorms are possible.
The wave of storms isn’t expected to enter Georgia until about midnight, with metro Atlanta enduring heavy rain between 2 and 5 a.m., Nitz said.
By 7 a.m., the system should move southeast out of metro Atlanta, but a few showers may linger during the end of the morning commute. Some areas could see up to an inch or two of rain.
“The heavy rain threat is high, the damaging wind threat — gusts over 60 mph — is moderate and the tornado threat is not zero, but it is low,” Nitz said.
A cold front that’s pushing this storm system along will also quickly drop temperatures after the 90% chance of storms.
Temperatures will begin in the 60s and should fall to the 40s by Tuesday afternoon, Nitz said. Some clouds are expected to stick around through the day, but the city will see some sunshine breaking through.
By Wednesday morning, temperatures in Atlanta could fall below freezing.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
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