The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for Cobb County and other north Georgia counties on  Friday March 3 due to a cold front expected to bring strong to severe storms into north Georgia, including Cobb County, this afternoon.

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…

An enhanced risk (level 3 out of 5) for severe thunderstorms is

in effect for far NW Georgia and a slight risk (level 2 out of 5)

is in effect for the remainder of north and central Georgia.

Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected along a cold front

across North and Central Georgia this afternoon. The primary

threats are damaging wind gusts and an isolated strong tornado or

two.

A high wind warning has been issued for far northwest and far

north central Georgia from 7 AM to 11 PM today where wind gusts up

to 50 mph will be possible. A Wind advisory remains in effect for

the remainder of the area with wind gusts as high as 35-45 mph.

Strong winds will likely bring down trees and powerlines even

outside of the main line of storms.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Saturday through Thursday…

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT…

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

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.