Scattered thunderstorms expected to move through Cobb County Sunday with advancing cold front

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 other counties in the region for Sunday, Sep 17, 2023 due to expected scattered showers and thunderstorms. These showers and storms are driven by a west-to-east cold front.

What is in the statement?

The hazardous weather outlook  gives the following details:

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and

Central Georgia.

.DAY ONE…Today and Tonight…

Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to move from west

to east through the forecast area today ahead of an advancing

cold front. Thunderstorms will be most likely in portions of east

Georgia during the late morning and afternoon. Widespread severe

weather is not expected, but a couple of storms storms could

become strong and capable of producing locally heavy rain,

frequent lightning, and gusty winds.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Monday through Saturday…

Isolated thunderstorms will be possible in portions of east-

central Georgia each afternoon from Thursday through Saturday.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT…

Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight.

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

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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.”