Despite a forecast of mostly sunny skies this morning, the chance of rain will increase in the late morning and early afternoon, with showers and thunderstorms expected by afternoon.

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for Cobb County and much of north and central Georgia for today, Wednesday Jul 19, 2023.

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…

Showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected later this

morning through the afternoon over north and central Georgia. A

complex of thunderstorms developing over Tennessee may remain

robust as it moves into north Georgia and tracks southward across

the area. Storms capable of strong damaging winds will be

possible if a complex of storms does hold together.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Thursday through Tuesday…

Showers and thunderstorms will be possible each day through

Saturday across much of North and Central GA. Thursday afternoon

and evening as well as Friday afternoon and evening appear to

offer the best opportunities for a chance of severe storms at this

time. Should a severe threat materialize, damaging winds and

frequent lightning will be the main threats.

.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.

What is the difference between “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.