According to the National Weather Service there is a risk of thunderstorms in Cobb County and other parts of the region for the afternoon of Saturday, December 9. Some of those storms could become severe, but the chance is slight.

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 to scattered thunderstorms are possible late this

afternoon and overnight ahead of an approaching cold front. A

Slight Risk (level 2 out of 5) of severe weather is in effect for

portions of northwest Georgia, and some storms may become strong

to severe and capable of producing isolated damaging wind gusts

and a brief tornado.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Sunday through Friday…

Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are possible areawide on

Sunday. A Marginal Risk (level 1 out of 5) for severe weather is

in effect for areas along and south of the I-85 corridor.

Rainfall totals of 1-1.5 inches are forecast through Sunday, with

locally higher amounts possible. The probability of widespread flooding

with this event is low.

.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

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.