Tornado Watch Dropped for Metro Atlanta Counties

Submitted by Chris Holcomb, 11Alive Meteorologist

Friday, February 24th, 2012, 2:54pm

Tornado Watch Dropped for Metro Atlanta Counties

Quick update: The tornado watch has now been canceled for all metro Atlanta counties. It was originally to be in effect until 4pm. It remains in effect for areas of central Georgia.

Here is the cut and pasted update from the NWS:

View Comments | Post a Comment

Storms Moving SE/Temps Dropping

Submitted by Chris Holcomb, 11Alive Meteorologist

Friday, February 24th, 2012, 2:17pm

After wall to wall coverage with tornado warnings this morning, we aren't really getting too much in the form of damage reports. Only a few trees and tree limbs down mainly south and east of Atlanta.

The storms continue moving to the south and east and will push away during the afternoon. The tornado watch remains in effect until 4pm, however, I expect many counties in the metro area to be removed from the watch at any time.

Surface Analysis shows cold front moving through NW Ga early afternoon

View Comments | Post a Comment

Tornado Watch Expanded to Just East of Altanta

Submitted by Mike Francis, Chief Meteorologist

Friday, February 24th, 2012, 12:02pm

Tornado Watch Expanded to Just East of Altanta

The tornado watch has been expanded to fill in a few counties south of the new watch that is to our NE. They are : Banks, Barrow, Clarke, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Hall, Jackson, Madison, Oconee, Rockdale, Walton. This watch will continue until 4pm this afternoon. The main threat will be wind and hail, but Isolated tornadoes are very possible. Most of the real severe storms will be south of the line you see up above.

I give this a 5 on a scale of 1-10 for well to the south of the metro

View Comments | Post a Comment

Tornado Watch until 4pm

Submitted by Chesley McNeil, Meteorologist

Friday, February 24th, 2012, 11:06am

Tornado Watch in effect just south of the city of Atlanta in a line extend from Heard County (West) to Walton County (East) and south. The watch will last until 4pm. Thunderstorms have be firing up this morning. Producing winds up to 60mph, heavy downpours, and frequent lightning.

A Tornado Watch means that conditions are favorable for tornadic activity.Stay tuned to 11Alive and 11Alive.com for the latest on the storms.

View Comments | Post a Comment

FLOYD | Deadly tornado reached 95 mph

Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Friday, February 24th, 2012, 11:04am

ROME, Ga. -- The National Weather Service said the deadly EF1 tornado that slammed Floyd County Wednesday night had estimated wind speeds of 95 miles per hour.

PHOTOS | Wednesday night storm damage

The weather service said the twister touched down in Rome, then headed east, carving a 3.25 mile path of destruction parallel to Kingston Highway.

Barbara Washington, 75, passed away after her house sustained damage during the storm.

The woman's cousins, who spoke to 11Alive News Thursday morning, said trees collapsed on the home while Washington was inside. She began having chest pains and called 911, but the ambulance had trouble getting to her house in the storm.

Washington was later pronounced dead of a heart attack at a local hospital.

View Comments | Post a Comment

Thunderstorms This Morning

Submitted by Chesley McNeil, Meteorologist

Friday, February 24th, 2012, 9:21am

Possible thunderstorms around through early afternoon. A cold front will push through North GA this morning. Temps are very warm ahead of the front. We are starting out with temps close to 70. We will cool down and dry out behind the front. Lows tonight will drop into the 30s.
Much cooler for Saturday. The sunshine will return but highs will only reach the low to mid 50s. More sunshine for Sunday with highs remaining in the 50s.

Long Term:

The dry skies will continue Monday, but look for changes for the mid of the week. Clouds will increase Tuesday, with the chance of showers and thunderstorms by Wednesday.

View Comments | Post a Comment

Slight Risk for T-Storms by Morning

Submitted by Mike Francis, Chief Meteorologist

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012, 11:03pm

There is a slight risk for strong to severe storms tomorrow morning across parts of N and NW Georgia. Right now there is a cold front that runs from SE MO through the Mississippi River, down into LA. This front is almost parallel with the upper level energy which means that the cold front will be moving very slowly. It also means that the upper level energy that is needed to intersect the cold front will be paralleling it which keeps the forcing at the surface very low.... Another thing that is holding the severe weather back is the fact that instability at the surface is weak as well.

There is a lot of twist in the atmosphere in place over the SE US tonight, but just because there is a lot of twist it doesn't mean anything if you can't get storms to fire. I think that is the case tonight. We could see a few strong storms in the morning along the front as it passes, but I think the threat is pretty minimal.