Atlanta weather: Dangerous heat, severe storm threat continues Thursday

ATLANTA - The FOX 5 Storm Team is tracking dangerous, stifling heat and an incoming round of severe storms poised to bring damaging winds and heavy downpours to North Georgia through Thursday evening. 

Heat and storms building

What we know:

A level two out of five severe storm risk has been issued for Thursday, carrying threats of damaging wind gusts and pockets of hail up to quarter size. The severe threat will extend farther to the east than Wednesday's storm activity, though a lower threat exists to the south and east of the city. 

Storm team insights

What they're saying:

FOX 5 Storm Team meteorologists note that winds rushing out of existing storms create a buoyant boundary layer that acts to feed and produce more storm activity across the region. Wherever these heavy downpours and thunderstorms pass through, local temperatures are expected to drop fairly quickly. 

Damaging storm timing

Timeline:

While high heat rules the daytime hours, regional storm development will follow a distinct track:

• Wednesday night: Prolific storm activity across northwest Georgia, the mountains, and foothills is expected to wrap up between 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM.
• Thursday morning: The day starts fairly calm with a few morning clouds and rapidly climbing humidity levels.
• Thursday afternoon and evening: A substantial storm flare-up will hit along the Tennessee and North Carolina borders into the Georgia mountains post-sunset, expanding across the area.

Atmosphere stays volatile

Big picture view:

The combination of intense afternoon heating and deep atmospheric moisture provides the perfect ingredients for explosive storm development. Even without a primary storm system to kick off the action, localized wind boundaries from decaying storms will easily trigger new severe cells. 

Severe storm impacts

Why you should care:

Drenching downpours, quarter-sized hail, and strong wind gusts could lead to localized power outages, downed tree limbs, and dangerous driving conditions during the evening hours. Outdoor plans and commutes will face sudden disruptions as severe cells build. 

Locked in 90s

By the numbers:

High heat remains the dominant headline across North Georgia for the foreseeable future:

• Wednesday evening: Heat indices hit 105 degrees in Athens and 103 degrees in Eaton.
• Thursday noon: Feels-like temperatures are projected to hit 99 degrees in the metro area before climbing further.
• Next 4 days: Temperatures in the 90s remain locked in with heat index values easily surpassing 100 degrees.

Storms battle heat

What's next:

The oppressive heat wave will continue to bake the region well into the upcoming weekend. However, by the second half of the weekend and heading into next week, tracking shows that severe storm chances will increasingly compete with the high heat for daily attention.