After a cool and dry day Wednesday, things will look very different over the next 24 hours.
A storm system is headed for North Georgia on Thursday with the potential for strong tornadoes, according to Channel 2 Action News.
While rain and a few storms are expected before sunrise and into the morning commute, the greatest risk for severe weather will increase by midmorning and ramp up through Thursday afternoon.
Channel 2 meteorologist Brad Nitz said this latest threat of severe storms is at least going to hit during the daytime, in comparison to the 22 tornadoes that hit Georgia during the overnight hours after Easter.
“It begins mid- to late morning and really ramps up after that, lingering a bit into the evening hours,” Nitz said. “... Heavy rain is virtually a guarantee, and we'll likely have wind gusts in excess of 60 mph and the possibility of strong, long-track tornadoes.”
The main risk is in metro Atlanta and south into Middle Georgia, according to the latest projections.
The more severe threat is forecast to arrive in the metro area about 2 p.m. and could linger through the afternoon and into the early evening hours. Much of metro Atlanta is under an elevated Level 3 of 5 risk for heavy rain, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes.
According to Channel 2, there is a 10% chance a tornado could hit within 25 miles of any location south of the city. Meteorologist Brian Monahan said that may seem low, but that is a “fairly high risk” when it comes to tornadoes.
There is “a chance for some of these to be stronger tornadoes at EF2 strength or stronger,” he said. “We need to stay on our toes.”
It should all be gone by Friday morning.
“We’re in for a quiet day on Friday, and then another chance for some scattered showers and even an isolated strong storm on Saturday, with a quiet finish to the weekend on Sunday,” Monahan said. “It will be cooler, too. We'll be up in the upper 60s.”
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
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