North and central Georgia, including Cobb County, could see severe thunderstorms today, Monday, May 12, with damaging winds being the main threat, though isolated tornadoes and hail are also possible.

According to the hazardous weather outlook issued by the National Weather Service, scattered thunderstorms are expected to continue through Wednesday.

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… A couple of severe thunderstorms are possible in the region today. The primary hazards with any stronger storms should be damaging winds gusts, but a brief tornado or a burst of hail can`t be ruled out. An isolated heavy rain and flooding threat will continue through today in north and central Georgia

. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Tuesday through Sunday… Scattered thunderstorms are expected Tuesday and Wednesday, mainly during the afternoon and evening. Additional thunderstorm activity is possible next weekend.

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.
  • Few and far between, with significant gaps between individual storm cells.
  • Typically cover less than 20% of the forecast area.
  • Can still be intense and may produce heavy rain, lightning, gusty winds, and possibly hail.
• Scattered Thunderstorms:
  • More widespread than isolated thunderstorms.
  • Numerous individual thunderstorms develop, but not continuous or widespread enough to be a “line” or “cluster.”
  • 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, 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.”