Scattered thunderstorms could bring strong, gusty winds, small hail and heavy rain to mainly north Georgia Sunday afternoon and evening, with isolated flash flooding and damaging wind gusts also possible. The National Weather Service says scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue each afternoon through the week across north and central Georgia.
The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for north and central Georgia for Sunday, August 9, 2026.
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 Hazardous Weather Outlook?
The hazardous weather outlook states the following:
554 AM EDT Sun Aug 9 2026
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north and central Georgia.
.DAY ONE…Today and Tonight…
Scattered thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and evening
across mainly north Georgia. Primary threats will be strong,
gusty winds, small hail, and heavy rainfall capable of producing
some isolated flash flooding. Isolated damaging wind gusts cannot
be ruled out..DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Monday through Saturday…
Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected each afternoon
through the week. Locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds will be
primary storm threats.
Counties included in the alert
- 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:
· 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 federal agency within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Its primary mission is to provide weather, water, and climate data, forecasts, and warnings to protect life and property and to enhance the national economy.
Headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, the NWS operates through a network of six regional headquarters and more than 100 local Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) across the country. These offices issue weather forecasts, warnings, advisories, and watches tailored to specific geographic areas.
Metro Atlanta is served by the National Weather Service’s Atlanta/Peachtree City Weather Forecast Office, located in Peachtree City. The office issues forecasts, watches, warnings and other weather information for much of north and central Georgia, including Cobb County.
The NWS also runs specialized centers, including the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) for severe weather outlooks, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) for tropical storm tracking, the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) for national forecast guidance, and the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) for solar activity that may affect Earth-based systems.
NWS forecasts and alerts are based on data from a combination of satellites, radar systems, weather balloons, surface observation stations, and computer models. The agency collaborates with emergency managers, broadcasters, government agencies, and the public to ensure that timely and accurate information is disseminated during weather events.
Its services are made available to the public at no cost, and its warnings—such as tornado warnings, flash flood alerts, and winter storm advisories—serve as official guidance for public safety and emergency response.