Atlanta: Rain, Winds, Possible Tornadoes in S. Ga.

Click here or on the map for real-time weather updates from the National Weather Service.

There were reports of tornadoes in south and southwest Georgia Saturday night, while metro Atlanta was hit with wind and scattered showers.

The National Weather Service office in Tallahassee, Fla., said there were no confirmed reports of any tornadoes in the state of Georgia.

But they said there were two weather events they suspect were tornadoes, one in Worth County and the other in Turner County, both Saturday night.

A third weather event in Early County Saturday evening was reported as a tornado but has not been confirmed. Trees were reported down in all three incidents. There was minor property damage as well.

Meteorologist Kelly Godsey said there were no reports of any injuries.

Worth and Turner counties are in south Georgia. Early County is in southwest Georgia.

Although the Atlanta area has been drenched with rain, the National Weather Service says it may not be enough to put a dent in the state's drought or avoid a record-low year for rainfall.
Meterologist Robert Beasley of the National Weather Service says four-tenths of an inch of rain has fallen in the Atlanta area.

The low amount of rain this year - about 27.66 inches of rain as of Saturday - puts the area on pace to break a record low of 29.14 inches of rainfall set in 1931, according to the National Weather Service.

Beasley says the area likely will get up to 2-1/2 inches of rain before the end of the year.

(The Associated Press)

Click here for more GPB weather coverage.

Rare Snow Blankets South as East Braces For Storm (Photos)

A powerful March snowstorm blanketed much of Alabama and then marched across Georgia on Sunday, forcing some flight cancellations in Atlanta as the East Coast braced for a potential pummeling.

Peachtree Ave., midtown Atlanta on Sunday afternoon, Mar. 1, 2009. (Photo: Dave Bender)

The weather service said winter storm warnings are in effect from northern Georgia and the Carolinas through the Mid-Atlantic states into New England.

At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Delta Air Lines and AirTran Airways canceled some Sunday flights and a Federal Aviation Administration Web site said flights to
Atlanta were experiencing average delays of nearly two hours.

AirTran spokesman Tad Hutcheson said flights out of Atlanta into the Northeast may also be canceled Sunday night as the messy, developing storm took aim at walloping at wide swath of the East Coast up through Maine.

"I expect the Northeast will be hit pretty hard tonight so our expectations is that people flying into Washington, D.C., and Boston will need to call or check our Web site for possible cancellations," Hutcheson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Delta spokesman Brian Kruse said the airline is monitoring the weather and asking customers flying to, from or through Atlanta to call Delta or check its Web site for updates.

Georgia Tech students A.D. Barfield, Lily Manavi, and Candace Farr discuss the merits of their snowman. (Photo: Dave Bender)

Despite above-freezing temperatures, a heavy flurry of snow fell on downtown Atlanta, blanketing cars and creating slushy streets and sidewalks. It hadn't snowed in Atlanta for more than a year — the area received 1.4 inches of snow in January 2008, said Laura Griffith of the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Ga.

I-75/85 connector, near 14th St. bridge construction. (Photo: Dave Bender)

Georgia transportation officials warned of potential icy conditions on roadways in middle and northern counties through Monday morning. No icing on roadways, bridges or other overpasses had been reported through midday Sunday, but as temperatures drop Sunday night, officials warn motorists that ice could be a threat.

Outside the CNN Center in downtown Atlanta, Flori Kwon of Claremont, Calif. took pictures of her son Jake, 5, playing in the snow.

"He wants to make a snowman but I don't think there's enough snow," Kwon said while large snowflakes landed in her hair. "We're kind of surprised it's snowing."

The late Southern snowfall brought back memories of a large storm in 1993 that forecasters nicknamed the "Snowfall of the Century," affecting the region from Alabama to north of Washington, D.C. on March 13, 1993, Griffith said. In that storm, Atlanta received 4.2 inches of snow and 13 inches of snow fell on Birmingham, Ala.


Pedestrians and snowmen at an overpass in midtown Atlanta. (Photo: Dave Bender)

Meanwhile, tornado watches were in effect from northern Florida into coastal Georgia and southern South Carolina.

Crossing Peachtree Ave., in midtown Atlanta, as the snow blows around. (Photo: Dave Bender)

Despite above-freezing temperatures in downtown Atlanta, a heavy curtain of snow fell on cars and caused traffic accidents on slushy streets. The unusual weather prompted 26-year-old Jessi Prahl and Max DiPace to take their dog, Cooper, on a walk through snow-covered Piedmont Park in Atlanta.

Says Prahl: "You know us Southerners, we all freak out when it snows."

(AP)
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Send us your snow photos (in standard .jpg format), and we'll post the best ones here: dbender at gpb dot org (replace the "at" with @ and "Dot" with .)

Click here for more GPB News coverage of today's wintry weather.

Forecast: Rain, Wind & Snow Expected

Click on the map for county-by-county forecasts. (National Weather Service)

The National Weather Service office in Peachtree City reports that large swaths of Tennessee and Alabama are getting hit with snow flurries, heavy rain and storm advisories, Sunday morning.

Rain and possible snow are expected to sweep through much of Georgia in the latter part of Sunday, Mar. 1, 2009. (Photo: Dave Bender)

Snow flurries were reported in Columbus and other parts of southwest Georgia by noon, although it did not stick to the ground.

From the National Weather Service:

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA.

DAY ONE: TODAY AND TONIGHT
WINTER WEATHER POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTH AND MUCH OF CENTRAL GEORGIA
TODAY.

SYNOPSIS:
LOW PRESSURE OVER CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS MORNING WILL MOVE OFF THE
GEORGIA COAST LATER TODAY. COLD ARCTIC AIR WILL BUILD INTO THE
STATE TODAY AS STRONG HIGH PRESSURE MOVES INTO THE MISSISSIPPI
VALLEY.

PRIMARY HAZARDS:
THE PRIMARY HAZARD TODAY WILL BE SNOW...POSSIBLY ACCUMULATING TO
ONE INCH OVER MUCH OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. WINDS WILL ALSO
BE STRONG AND GUSTY FROM THE NORTHWEST.

DISCUSSION:
COLD AIR WILL PUSH INTO NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA TODAY AS HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE AREA. MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG
UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL SPREAD OVER THE AREA. THIS COULD PRODUCE SNOW
ACCUMULATING TO UP TO ONE INCH OVER MUCH OF NORTH AND CENTRAL
GEORGIA TODAY INTO THIS EVENING.

A hazy, rainy skyline over midtown Atlanta, Sunday morning, Mar. 1, 2009. (Photo: Dave Bender)

This report will be updated throughout the day as fresh information come in.

NWS Snow Updates, Photos

Click on the image for more local details. (National Weather Service)

A steady snow has been falling across metro Atlanta, as well as other areas in the west and north of the state, through most of the afternoonaccording to the National Weather Service office in Peachtree City:

...MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTH AND
CENTRAL GEORGIA THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS...

.AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL TRACK ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN
GEORGIA THROUGH THIS EVENING. PRECIPITATION HAS CHANGED FROM RAIN
TO A MIXTURE OF RAIN AND SNOW TO ALL SNOW ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA
AS COLD AIR ALOFT FILTERED IN FROM THE WEST. ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2
INCHES ARE ALREADY ON THE GROUND IN THE WARNED AREAS:

FORSYTH-HALL-BANKS-JACKSON-MADISON-COBB-NORTH FULTON-GWINNETT-
BARROW-CLARKE-OCONEE-OGLETHORPE-WILKES-CARROLL-DOUGLAS-
SOUTH FULTON-DEKALB-ROCKDALE-WALTON-NEWTON-MORGAN-GREENE-
TALIAFERRO-HEARD-COWETA-FAYETTE-CLAYTON-SPALDING-HENRY-BUTTS-
JASPER-PUTNAM-TROUP-MERIWETHER-PIKE-UPSON-LAMAR-MONROE-HARRIS-
TALBOT-MUSCOGEE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GAINESVILLE...MARIETTA...ATLANTA...
LAWRENCEVILLE...ATHENS...CARROLLTON...DOUGLASVILLE...EAST POINT... DECATUR...CONYERS...COVINGTON...NEWNAN...PEACHTREE CITY... GRIFFIN...COLUMBUS

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT FOR AREAS SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CARROLLTON TO GAINESVILLE AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM COLUMBUS TO WASHINGTON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

AT THIS TIME...ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE TO 2 INCHES ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WINTER STORM WARNING AREA...WITH A TOTAL ACCUMULATION OF 2 TO 4 INCHES EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THIS EVENING.

PERSONS IN THE ADVISORY AREA ARE URGED TO MONITOR THE LATEST CONDITIONS AND FORECASTS ON TELEVISION... RADIO...THE INTERNET OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO. IF THE STORM SYSTEM OR COLD AIR INTENSIFIES FURTHER...A WINTER STORM WARNING MAY BE ISSUED FOR PARTS OF THE AREA.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW... SLEET...AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING AND WILL CAUSE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. TRAVEL SHOULD BE AVOIDED.


Snow over midtown Atlanta at noon on Sunday, Mar. 1, 2009. (Photo: Dave Bender)

Send us your snow photos (in standard .jpg format), and we'll post the best ones here: dbender at gpb dot org (replace the "at" with @ and Dot with .)
(Photo: Dave Bender)

Will The Weekend Drenching Help?

The Sunday night update from the National Weather Service:

Patchy fog. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 36. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 62. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. West wind between 5 and 10 mph.
New Year's Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 48. Windy, with a west wind between 15 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.

Rain fell in the city for a fourth consecutive day Sunday and meteorologists decided it probably would be enough to save 2007 from going down as the drought-stricken Atlanta area's driest year on record.

The most arid year ever recorded for Atlanta was 1954, when only 31.80 inches of rain fell.
Meteorologists had said it appeared that this year would have even less rain than that, saying rain falling Sunday morning would taper off and quit. However, showers continued and by 2:50 p.m. Sunday the 2007 cumulative rainfall was up to 31.56 inches — with a band of moderate rain moving in from Alabama.

"It's likely" the 1954 record will stay intact, said Mike Leary, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Dry weather was forecast for Monday.

There had been hope that Atlanta would escape a record book entry this year, as a parade of rainstorms began the week before Christmas. Atlanta got rain on 10 out of the last 12 days.

On Saturday morning, the 2007 cumulative rainfall total hit about 30.5 inches, and an overnight soaking was on the way, fed by moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.

On Sunday morning, the weather service said it didn't look like enough would fall during the day to match the 1954 level, seeming to guarantee a new record. But by 3 p.m. Sunday, more than an inch had accumulated for the day.

"It's just a wait and see," said Stephen Konarik, another weather service meteorologist.

Rain has also been unusually sparse in other Georgia cities this year, including Athens, Columbia and Macon. However, each of those cities has seen worse years than 2007, Konarik said.
Athens got 0.92 of an inch by mid-afternoon Sunday, Columbus got 1.12 inches, Augusta got 2 inches and Macon more than 2.5 inches, Leary said.

The latest rain had only a small effect on the metropolitan area's main source of drinking water,

Lake Lanier, where the receding water is exposing roads and the foundations of buildings submerged since the reservoir was created in the 1950s.

The water level in the reservoir stood at an all-time low of 1,050.79 inches on Wednesday, and by 6 a.m. Sunday it had risen to only 1,051.05 inches.

"What's falling now won't show up until tomorrow or the next day," said Rob Holland, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which operates the reservoir.

"Anything that stops the level from falling is a good thing," he added. "But we'd like to get a whole lot more."

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the drought.

(The Associated Press)

Oxendine: Over $150 million in Atlanta storm damage

Click here for the latest National Weather Service update.

People get out and survey the damage in Atlanta's Cabbage Town neighborhood. At least 27 people were hurt Friday night, though no injuries were believed to be life-threatening. (AP Photo/John Amis)

State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine estimated damage from Friday night's storm at $150 million to $200 million.

Tens of thousands of basketball fans at two Atlanta arenas were perfectly safe, officials insisted Saturday, even though the crowds apparently weren't warned about an approaching tornado — one that would ravage skyscrapers and injure dozens.

About 18,000 people were watching the Southeastern Conference men's tournament Friday night at the Georgia Dome when its fabric roof began rippling, the catwalks above the court started swaying and chunks of insulation rained onto the players.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning about eight minutes before the twister hit, but it wasn't clear when or if that alert was passed on to fans, said Katy Pando, a dome spokeswoman. Fans claimed they never heard or saw one.

Another 16,000 fans watching an NBA game at Philips Arena, in the same complex as the dome, weren't told of the weather, either. The arena apparently sustained little damage, Atlanta Hawks spokesman Arthur Triche said.

Governor Sonny Perdue and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin declared a state of emergency in several areas in Atlanta.

A sign rests atop four cars in a downtown Atlanta parking lot after a tornado touched down Friday evening, pictured Saturday March 15, 2008. (AP / Ron Williams)

The tornado, with wind up to 130 mph, cut a 6-mile path through downtown Atlanta, smashing hundreds of windows in and around the CNN Center, blowing furniture and luggage out of hotel rooms and crumbling part of an apartment building.

A cab sits in the debris in front of CNN Center in downtown Atlanta Friday, March 14, 2008.
(AP Photo/Dave Martin)

At least two people died in Polk and Floyd counties from the storms. A third is reported in critical condition.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the storm damage in downtown Atlanta Friday evening.

Click here for tornado and severe weather alerts from the National Weather Service for the Atlanta area and statewide.

(The Associated Press)

Nat'l Weather Svce seeks tornado evidence

Weather experts will look for evidence in a south Georgia town to determine if storm damage was caused by a tornado. A storm system Monday brought another round of severe weather to Fitzgerald where a possible twister damaged one building and toppled several irrigation systems east of the town. No injuries were reported. A storm survey will be conducted Tuesday in Ben Hill County byNational Weather Service meteorologists in Tallahassee, Fla.

(Associated Press)

Scientists: City, Drought Fueled Atlanta's Freak Tornado

The freak tornado that damaged downtown Atlanta last year might have been caused in part by the city itself. New research funded by NASA shows that, while the twister was spawned by a larger weather system, it also might have been made stronger by a "heat island" that surrounds Atlanta.

University of Georgia geography professor Marshall Shepherd was part of the study and says, the research could help to improve weather forecasts. "Land cover and soil moisture affect weather processes and right now many of our weather forecasting models today don't represent urban landcover or soil moisture as well as they should," Dr. Shepherd says.

The study also says, Georgia's on-going drought could have been a factor by creating what amounted to a "sea breeze" between wet and dry areas. The downtown Atlanta tornado struck almost exactly a year ago today, causing only minor injuries, but millions of dollars damage.

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North Georgia Flood Watch: 3 PM

There is a flood watch for northwest Georgia through 6 o'clock tonight. The flood watch from the National Weather Service spans counties from Haralson to Dade county. Forecasters expect more than 2 inches to fall today in parts of north Georgia, calling it a "soaker situation." For an up-to-date look at weather in your county, you can link to the U. S Weather Radar to the right of this page.

(National Weather Service, Associated Press)

Chatham Co. improves warning sirens

Savannah's Chatham County has completed a $600,000 upgrade to its warning siren system. The improvement comes as safety from severe weather remains on the minds of many.

When tornadoes struck March last year, the county had 30 warning sirens and many people complained that they didn't hear them. County officials then made siren funding a priority. And today those leaders stood beneath a newly installed siren at Savannah's Forsyth Park to announce the county now has 60 sirens.

"We have 95% of the land mass of Chatham County covered," says Clayton Scott, the director of the county's emergency management agency. "It's important because it's designed for places like this, where people are playing tennis, if there's a hazardous materials spill, if all of a sudden, the weather turns bad, so we can warn them."

Scott says, the sirens are only meant to be heard outdoors. Indoors, residents should have a weather radio with localizing technology. Sirens are tested on first Wednesdays in clear weather. In a real tornado warning two-weeks ago, the new sirens clearly could be heard in areas previously unserved by sirens.

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Forecast: Cold and Clear After Saturday Snows

These were common suburban scenes across greater Atlanta early Sunday morning: remaining clumps of snow falling off roofs and slick, cracking ice on roads, as temperatures hovered in the mid-teens. (Dave Bender)

Snow, rain and sleet spread across parts of the South on Saturday, dusting lawns and shrubs with flakes and leading airlines to cancel several hundred flights.

All five runways at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport were reported open, but an automated Internet report from the Federal Aviation Administration said some flights bound for the airport were delayed by more than four hours.

Delta Air Lines Inc. had about 260 flight cancellations Saturday, spokeswoman Betsy Talton said. AirTran Airways spokesman Tad Hutcheson said 78 flights were canceled by afternoon and more cancellations were expected.

"We do have flights but with delays due to deicing, customers need to bring patience with them," Hutcheson said in a statement.

Snow fell as far south as southwestern Mississippi, with totals of as much as 3 inches, although the ground was too warm to allow it to accumulate. It was that area's first snowfall since 2001, the National Weather Service said.

Meteorologists in Georgia warned that the area's mixture of rain and snow could make roads icy Sunday morning, after overnight temperatures only in the upper teens and low 20s.

"We're really stressing people should, especially in the north metro area, stay off roads as much as possible," said Laura Griffith of the weather service office in Peachtree City.

Click here for National Weather Service warnings and alerts for Georgia.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the wintry weather.

(The Associated Press)

Severe Weather Warnings for Parts of Georgia (Friday)

Click & drag to move & zoom map, roll over graphics for details. Press F5 on your keyboard to update this map for the latest radar and weather information.

AT 532 PM EDT...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE ACROSS EASTERN CHEROKEE...WESTERN FORSYTH...AND EXTREME NORTHERN FULTON COUNTIES. THIS LINE HAS WEAKENED CONSIDERABLY AND IS NO LONGER DETECTED TO BE SEVERE. HEAVY RAIN...PEA-SIZED HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE STILL POSSIBLE WITH THIS ACTIVITY AS IT MOVES EAST AT 35 MPH. OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO DUCKTOWN...DREW...MATT AND CUMMING. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT FRIDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN GEORGIA.

Click here for National Weather Service weather updates for Georgia.

State gets cold weather to open '08

The New Year will bring much colder weather for the first days of the new calendar. Highs across Georgia today are expected mainly in the 30’s and 40’s for north and central portions of the state. The National Weather Service says a wind advisory is in effect for this afternoon and tonight for much of Georgia. A hard freeze is expected tonight into Wednesday morning, with the mercury settling in the mid and upper teens for much of northern Georgia.

Winter weather closes some north Georgia schools

Snow was falling in some areas of northern-most Georgia this morning. Because of that, two school systems called-off classes for today--students in Fannin and Rabun counties get another day-off to extend their Thanksgiving holiday break.

The National Weather Service says there is a winter weather advisory in effect until 1am Tuesday morning for 10 northeast Georgia mountain counties. Forecasters say there could be snow accumulations of up to two inches for elevations above 2,500 feet.

Report: schools need tornado-proof room

Federal weather officials said a March 1st tornado outbreak that struck Alabama and Georgia, killing eight students huddled inside Enterprise High School in Alabama, showed the need for a "hardened safe room" for use during storms.

The National Weather Service says in its report today that Enterprise school officials and students followed appropriate safety measures before and during the tornado, but the storm demonstrated the need for a safe-room shelter. Besides the deaths in Enterprise, the tornado outbreak killed six people in a mobile home park near Newton, Ggeorgia, and five others elsewhere in Alabama and Georgia.

The Weather Service report says a total of 31 verified tornadoes struck 45 counties in Georgia and south Alabama, including 13 packing winds of 113 miles an hour or stronger. The deadliest hit Enterprise with winds of 200 miles an hour.

Tornado Warning Across N. Georgia (UPDATE)

---UPDATE:

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN WALKER COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM HAS EXITED WALKER COUNTY.

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EST FOR MURRAY...SOUTHEASTERN WHITFIELD...GORDON AND NORTHERN BARTOW COUNTIES...

AT 545 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM CHATSWORTH TO AUDUBON TO ADAIRSVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO ETON... REDBUD...RAMHURST...FARMVILLE...FORT MOUNTAIN STATE PARK...FOLSOM...SONORAVILLE...OAKMAN...CARTERS...RANGER...FUNKHOUSER AND FAIRMOUNT.

---

A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5:45 PM EST FOR EASTERN CHATTOOGA AND FLOYD COUNTIES...

AT 524 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A LINE OF TORNADO PRODUCING STORMS. THESE TORNADO PRODUCING

STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM EVERETT SPRINGS TO ARMUCHEE TO ROME...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

A ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF A HOME NEAR HOLLAND! THIS IS A DANGEROUS LINE OF STORMS.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SHANNON AND PINSON.

Click here for detailed National Weather Service updates.

Friday school closings

Southeast Georgia counties are preparing for bad weather from Tropical Storm Fay. Today McIntosh and Camden counties closed schools. Lowndes County Schools and Valdosta City Schools will be closed tomorrow due to weather conditions. The LHS football scrimmage scheduled for 7:00 Friday evening against Thomas County Central is rescheduled for Saturday at 6:00 pending weather. LHS Summer Graduation for Saturday morning has been canceled.

Weather Channel for sale

Atlanta-based Weather Channel could be up for sale. The Virginian-Pilot newspaper reports that Norfolk-based Landmark Communications, which owns the Weather Channel, is exploring the sale of the company. Landmark also owns nine daily newspapers, including the Virginian-Pilot.

Severe weather moving through Georgia

Radar image of affected area. Click on the image for an interactive map. (National Weather Service)

Severe storms that spawned tornadoes in Tennesee, Arkansas, and Kentucky overnight are now moving into Georgia this morning.

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for a 42-county area of the state until 2pm this afternoon. The watch-area is for people in areas of the state extending from northwest Georgia, south through the metro Atlanta area, into central and west-central Georgia.

The storms that moved through areas of the South overnight are reported to have killed 44 people.

Clikc here for updated NWS information.

Severe weather possible

Severe weather including tornadoes and heavy rain could hit northwest Georgia tonight. The National Weather Service says winds could range from 40 to 70 miles per hour, and that dime-to-quarter sized hail could fall. Downpours could bring 1 to 2 inches of rain. However, forecasters say as storms move through Georgia they will lose strength.