The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for Cobb County and other parts of the region on Thursday December 15. The outlook mostly applies to east central Georgia, but we are included in the coverage zone, and a tornado watch is in effect for some parts of the region until 9 a.m.
The main danger for the affected counties is isolated storms that may become severe.
What is in the statement?
The statement gives the following details:
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and Central Georgia.
.DAY ONE…Today and Tonight…
Isolated storms may become strong to severe in portions of east
central Georgia. Gusty winds will be the main threat, however a
brief tornado cannot be ruled out. A Tornado Watch is in effect
for portions of central Georgia until 9 AM EST.
Widespread showers will continue across East and Central Georgia through
the morning hours with locally heavy rainfall at times.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Friday through Wednesday…
No hazardous weather is expected at this time.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT…
Spotter activation is not requested but spotters are encouraged
to submit reports of severe weather through the web by going to
weather.gov/atlanta. Please relay any information about observed severe
weather to the NWS while following all local, state, and CDC
guidelines.
What is meant by “isolated” and “scattered”?
The NWS defines “isolated” as follows:
A National Weather Service convective precipitation descriptor for a 10 percent chance of measurable precipitation (0.01 inch). Isolated is used interchangeably with few.
“Scattered” has the following definition:
When used to describe precipitation (for example: “scattered showers”) – Area coverage of convective weather affecting 30 percent to 50 percent of a forecast zone (s).
In other words isolated means a few showers, scattered means the showers are likely to cover 30 to 50 percent of the affected region.
What counties are affected?
The following counties are included in the hazardous weather outlook:
Baldwin, Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Bleckley, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattahoochee, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Crawford, Crisp, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Dodge, Dooly, Douglas, Emanuel, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Glascock, Gordon, Greene, Gwinnett, Hall, Hancock, Haralson, Harris, Heard, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Laurens, Lumpkin, Macon, Madison, Marion, Meriwether, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Murray, Muscogee, Newton, North Fulton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Rockdale, Schley, South Fulton, Spalding, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taliaferro, Taylor, Telfair, Toombs, Towns, Treutlen, Troup, Twiggs, Union, Upson, Walker, Walton, Warren, Washington, Webster, Wheeler, White, Whitfield, Wilcox, Wilkes, Wilkinson
How long does the danger last?
At this time the hazardous outlook is only for the morning hours of Thursday.
About the National Weather Service
The National Weather Service (NWS) is a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The NWS describes its role as follows:
“The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, water, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy.
“These services include Forecasts and Observations, Warnings, Impact-based Decision Support Services, and Education in an effort to build a Weather-Ready Nation. The ultimate goal is to have a society that is prepared for and responds to weather, water and climate events.”
>>>Read all the Cobb County Courier climate and weather coverage by following this link.
