Hazardous weather outlook issued for Cobb County January 3: morning fog plus afternoon storms that could become severe

Lightning flashing across a cloudy sky. A Cobb County Courier logo and the words "Hazardous Weather Outlook"

The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for Cobb County and several other counties in the region on  Tuesday, January 3, 2023, due to expected dense morning fog, and afternoon thunderstorms that could 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…

Patchy dense fog will restrict visibilities to a quarter of a mile

or less across portions of east Georgia this morning. The fog is

expected to dissipate after 10 AM.

Several waves of showers and thunderstorms are expected across

north and central Georgia starting in the early afternoon. Strong

to severe thunderstorms will be possible during the afternoon and

tonight. Severe storms that develop will be capable of producing

damaging wind gusts, brief tornadoes, and frequent lightning.

Periods of heavy rainfall could lead to localized flash flooding

and river flooding. A Flood Watch has been issued in portions of

west-central Georgia where rainfall totals are forecast to be

highest.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Wednesday through Monday…

Showers and thunderstorms will continue across north and central

Georgia Wednesday morning and afternoon ahead of an advancing

cold front. Several storms could become strong to severe, capable

of producing damaging wind gusts, brief tornadoes, and frequent

lightning. Locally heavy rainfall could lead to localized flash

flooding and river flooding concerns.

.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, alton, Warren, Washington, Webster, Wheeler, White, Whitfield, Wilcox, Wilkes, Wilkinson

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.

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