April 22nd, 2020 – 4:45 PM
National Weather Service in Peachtree City & Floyd County Emergency Management –
Overview: Significant severe storms remain possible in Georgia on Thursday, with the potential for a few strong tornadoes, damaging winds, large hail, and flash flooding. The Storm Prediction Center has expanded their Enhanced Risk (3 out of 5) for severe weather generally along the I-20/I-85 corridor and to the south. Flash flooding could also be a concern, with an additional 1 to 3 inches of rainfall expected statewide on top of all the recent rain, especially across Central Georgia.
Timing: Scattered showers will begin to move through Georgia today and tonight. There will likely be two main waves with this system tomorrow, one in the late morning/afternoon, and another in the evening. This system should move out of Georgia entirely by around sunrise on Friday.
Uncertainty: The ample moisture, atmospheric instability, and wind shear suggest that the ingredients will be in place for another potentially significant tornado and damaging wind event. However, there remains significant uncertainty with this system, including the placement of the warm front, the stability of the atmosphere prior to the second wave, and the primary storm mode for each wave.
Next System(s): Friday will be dry, sunny, and mild. Another system looks to move across the Southeast on Saturday. A few strong to severe storms appear possible, but there remains a lot of uncertainty with this system, such as, once again, how far north the warm front will lift. This system will exit on Sunday morning, and there should be great weather for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Some models are showing yet another storm system sweeping across the Southeast next Wednesday, and severe weather once again looks like a possibility.
Remember to continue to follow the CDC guidelines for Covid-19 regarding handwashing , hand sanitizer, social distancing 6Ft or more, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when venturing out in the community.