Weather

High Winds, Fire Danger Target GA Ahead Of Possible Storms

After storms this week conjured an EF-2 tornado in one GA county, weather officials say more storms could arrive early next week.

A high wind advisory is in effect until 8 p.m. Thursday for several Georgia counties.
A high wind advisory is in effect until 8 p.m. Thursday for several Georgia counties. (Shutterstock)

GEORGIA — Parts of Georgia are currently under a wind advisory and are also asked to take precaution against high fire danger Thursday.

This comes before showers and storms are set to arrive in the area Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service's forecast.

A wind advisory remains in effect until 8 p.m. Thursday for the following counties: Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Whitfield, Murray, Fannin, Gilmer, Union, Towns, Chattooga, Gordon, Pickens, Dawson,Lumpkin, White, Floyd, Bartow, Cherokee, Forsyth, Hall, Banks. Jackson, Madison, Polk, Paulding, Cobb,Fulton, Gwinnett, Barrow, Clarke, Oconee, Haralson, Carroll, Douglas, DeKalb, Rockdale, Walton, Newton, Coweta, Fayette, Clayton and Henry.

Find out what's happening in Across Georgiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

West winds of 10-20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph are anticipated in these counties. Isolated wind gusts could increase at elevations above 2,000 feet, the weather service said.

"Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result," the weather service said in the advisory.

Find out what's happening in Across Georgiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Simultaneously, the aforementioned counties are warned of high fire danger due to strong winds. Relative humidities are predicted to stay above 25 percent.


RELATED: EF-2 Tornado Rocks Conyers As Severe Storms Sweep Through GA: NWS


Residents are asked to go to their local burn permitting authorities to see if burning can take place outdoors.

After high winds Thursday, potential frost could spread from Baldwin County to Muscogee County and other areas south of metro Atlanta Friday and Saturday mornings, the weather service said in its hazardous weather outlook. This includes the entire metro, Clarke County, Upson County and several more counties.

The frost risk is highest north of the Interstate 20 corridor, the weather service said.

Once the frost passes, isolated showers and thunderstorms are possible Monday-Wednesday.

This comes after an EF-2 tornado shook up Conyers in Rockdale County shortly before midnight Wednesday, reportedly injuring at least two people and damaging at least 30 homes.

A local church had been transformed into a shelter, a safe haven for those recovering from the destruction, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

As of 11:45 a.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service predicted the following detailed forecast for metro Atlanta:

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 60. West wind 15-20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. Northwest wind 10-15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 61. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 38. Northwest wind 10-15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 64. Northwest wind around 10 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 42.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 72.

Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after 2 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 53.

Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 76.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58.

Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72.

Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.

Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74.


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