The National Weather Service warns of hazardous weather conditions across north and central Georgia today, including patchy dense fog and a potential line of thunderstorms bringing damaging winds, hail, and isolated tornadoes.

The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for Cobb County and other parts of north and central Georgia Friday.

What is in the statement?

The statement gives the following details:

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north and central Georgia

. .DAY ONE…Today and Tonight… Patchy dense fog with visibility as low as one-quarter mile is expected through mid-morning across portions of north and central Georgia. A line of thunderstorms will progress from northwest to southeast across the state today. Damaging wind gusts and hail up to 1 inch in diameter are the primary hazards, mainly between 11 AM and 5 PM. A brief tornado or two will be possible

. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Saturday through Thursday… Isolated storms will be possible across portions of north Georgia on Sunday. Isolated to scattered storms are possible area-wide on Thursday.

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

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).

Isolated thunderstorms and scattered thunderstorms are two terms used to describe different distributions of thunderstorm activity within a particular area. The main difference lies in the extent of coverage and how the thunderstorms are spatially distributed:

• Isolated Thunderstorms:
  • Relatively rare occurrences that happen sporadically and are generally confined to a limited area.
  • Characterized by being few and far between, with significant gaps between individual storm cells.
  • Typically cover less than 20% of the forecast area.
  • Despite their isolated nature, these storms can still be intense and may produce heavy rain, lightning, gusty winds, and possibly hail.
• Scattered Thunderstorms:
  • More widespread than isolated thunderstorms and cover a larger portion of the forecast area.
  • Numerous individual thunderstorms develop, but they are not continuous or widespread enough to be classified as a “line” or “cluster” of storms.
  • Generally cover between 30% to 50% of the forecast area.
  • Still leave considerable gaps between storm cells, and not everyone within the forecast area will necessarily experience a thunderstorm.

In summary, isolated thunderstorms are fewer in number and more localized, while scattered thunderstorms are more widespread.

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.”