Georgia Freeze Warning: Sub-Freezing Temperatures Expected Overnight Tuesday Into Wednesday Morning

A Freeze Warning is in effect for parts of Georgia, with temperatures dropping as low as 20 degrees through this morning and again overnight into Wednesday, creating conditions that could damage crops, sensitive vegetation, and exposed outdoor plumbing.

The National Weather Service issued an alert for north and central Georgia for Tuesday, March 17.

Bonus for the more weather-curious among you … To read an article about interpreting a weather news report with some of the typical terminology defined,  follow this link.

What is in the statement?

The statement gives the following details:

…WIND ADVISORY HAS EXPIRED…
…FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM EDT
WEDNESDAY…
…FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EDT THIS MORNING…

* WHAT…For the first Freeze Warning, sub-freezing temperatures as
low as 20. For the second Freeze Warning, sub-freezing temperatures
as low as 22 expected.

* WHERE…Portions of central, east central, north central,
northeast, northwest, and west central Georgia.

* WHEN…For the first Freeze Warning, until 10 AM EDT this morning.
For the second Freeze Warning, from 11 PM this evening to 10 AM EDT
Wednesday.

* IMPACTS…Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other
sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor
plumbing.

What counties are affected?

The following counties are included in the hazardous weather outlook:

Baldwin, Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Bleckley, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Chattahoochee, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Crawford, Crisp, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Dooly, Douglas, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Glascock, Gordon, Greene, Gwinnett, Hall, Hancock, Haralson, Harris, Heard, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jones, Lamar, Lumpkin, Macon, Madison, Marion, Meriwether, Monroe, 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, Towns, Troup, Twiggs, Union, Upson, Walker, Walton, Warren, Washington, Webster, White, Whitfield, 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:

• Isolated thunderstorms are relatively rare occurrences that happen sporadically and are generally confined to a limited area.
• These thunderstorms are often characterized by being few and far between, with significant gaps between individual storm cells.
• Typically, isolated thunderstorms 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:

• Scattered thunderstorms are more widespread than isolated thunderstorms and cover a larger portion of the forecast area.
• In a scattered thunderstorm scenario, numerous individual thunderstorms develop, but they are not continuous or widespread enough to be classified as a “line” or “cluster” of storms.
• Scattered thunderstorms generally cover between 30% to 50% of the forecast area.
• Although scattered thunderstorms are more widespread, they 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, covering a smaller area with significant gaps between storms, while scattered thunderstorms are more widespread, covering a larger area with numerous individual storms occurring somewhat randomly across the forecast area.

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.