Storm threat returns to North Georgia on Wednesday
ATLANTA - North and central Georgia will stay warm and mostly quiet through Tuesday, but a slow-moving storm system is expected to bring heavy rain and the potential for severe weather beginning Wednesday and lasting into early Thursday.
Storms likely in North Georgia on Wednesday
What they're saying:
The main concern with this system is damaging wind gusts and heavy rainfall, though other severe threats can’t be ruled out completely, according to the FOX 5 Storm Team.
"The main threats if we get severe weather here would be damaging wind gusts that could prompt some severe thunderstorm warnings," FOX 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Joanne Feldman said. "The hail and the tornado threat is low, but not zero."
While severe storms are possible, Feldman says heavy rain and localized flooding may be the bigger concern.
"Heavy rain at a level where even if we don’t get severe thunderstorm warnings can be enough to create some localized flash flooding," she said. "That would be the greater threat."
Storms could help with drought
Local perspective:
The system could bring meaningful rainfall totals across the region, helping to chip away at a growing deficit.
"This is going to be the type of rain that can put a big dent in our rainfall deficit," Feldman said.
Over the next several days, many areas could see around 2 inches of rain, with some locations approaching 3 inches, especially from Wednesday night into Thursday.
Timing North Georgia storms
Timeline:
Most of Wednesday daytime will stay dry, though a few isolated storms could develop by late morning or afternoon. The more widespread activity arrives later.
"Don’t sleep on this," Feldman said. "These can still be very strong storms even if they only affect a few areas Wednesday."
The main line of storms is expected Wednesday evening, potentially reaching metro Atlanta around 8 p.m. before continuing overnight.
"If this model holds true, the main severe weather threat would be late in the evening," Feldman said. "The severe storm threat would taper off overnight, but the rain not necessarily."
Scattered showers and storms may linger into Thursday morning before drying out later in the day.
Temperatures will remain warm ahead of the system, with highs near 80 degrees today and Wednesday.
Morning lows will also trend milder, starting in the 60s Wednesday.
Cooler air follows storms
What's next:
Behind the front, cooler air moves in.
"We go from highs in the low 80s the next couple of days down to the low to mid 70s for the second half of the week," Feldman said.
Rain chances return again this weekend and into early next week, keeping the unsettled pattern going.
The Source: This article was written by the FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team based off the FOX 5 Storm Team forecast.