Risk of stormy weather increasing

PEACHTREE CITY - Areas of state from the mountains to deep south Georiga - includng Gainesville - have been placed on alert this morning for stormy weather later today.

The National Weather Service has issued a special statement warning of the possiblity of severe weather from tonight thruough tomorrow morning.

Parts of northwest Georgia have the highest risk of rough weather, according to forecasters. But, for most of the state, the potential is there for severe thunderstorms - including large hail and damaging winds.

The full text of the special statement:


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-
NORTH FULTON-GWINNETT-BARROW-CLARKE-OCONEE-OGLETHORPE-WILKES-
HARALSON-CARROLL-DOUGLAS-SOUTH FULTON-DEKALB-ROCKDALE-WALTON-
NEWTON-MORGAN-GREENE-TALIAFERRO-HEARD-COWETA-FAYETTE-CLAYTON-
SPALDING-HENRY-BUTTS-JASPER-PUTNAM-HANCOCK-WARREN-TROUP-
MERIWETHER-PIKE-UPSON-LAMAR-MONROE-JONES-BALDWIN-WASHINGTON-
GLASCOCK-JEFFERSON-HARRIS-TALBOT-TAYLOR-CRAWFORD-BIBB-TWIGGS-
WILKINSON-JOHNSON-EMANUEL-MUSCOGEE-CHATTAHOOCHEE-MARION-SCHLEY-
MACON-PEACH-HOUSTON-BLECKLEY-LAURENS-TREUTLEN-STEWART-WEBSTER-
SUMTER-DOOLY-CRISP-PULASKI-WILCOX-DODGE-TELFAIR-WHEELER-
MONTGOMERY-TOOMBS-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CALHOUN...DAHLONEGA...CLEVELAND...
ROME...CARTERSVILLE...GAINESVILLE...MARIETTA...ATLANTA...
LAWRENCEVILLE...ATHENS...CARROLLTON...DOUGLASVILLE...EAST POINT...
DECATUR...CONYERS...COVINGTON...NEWNAN...PEACHTREE CITY...
GRIFFIN...MILLEDGEVILLE...MACON...SWAINSBORO...COLUMBUS...
WARNER ROBINS...DUBLIN...LUMPKIN...AMERICUS...CORDELE...VIDALIA
359 AM EDT FRI APR 7 2006

...SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE FRIDAY EVENING INTO SATURDAY MORNING...

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS PLACED DADE COUNTY IN EXTREME
NORTHWEST GEORGIA IN A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR FRIDAY
AFTERNOON AND NIGHT...WITH THE REMAINDER OF NORTH
GEORGIA...NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM CARROLLTON...TO CUMMING...TO
CLAYTON IN A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. THE REMAINDER OF
NORTH GEORGIA IS PLACED IN A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR
TONIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY.

A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST FROM THE MIDWEST TOWARD
THE SOUTHEAST U.S. TODAY AND TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO INCREASE DURING THE DAY FRIDAY ACROSS THE MIDDLE AND
LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BEGIN TO MOVE
INTO FAR NORTHWEST GEORGIA DURING THE EVENING...AND ACROSS THE
REMAINDER OF NORTH GEORGIA AFTER MIDNIGHT.

DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY...A STRONG UPPER LOW AND ASSOCIATED COLD
FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY FROM THE MIDWEST. AHEAD
OF THIS WEATHER SYSTEM...SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE AND
BEGIN TO BRING WARM...MOIST GULF AIR INTO THE REGION. THIS
WARM...INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE AIR WILL COMBINE WITH STRONG WINDS AND
WIND SHEAR ALOFT TO CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
LATE IN THE DAY ACROSS ALABAMA AND MIDDLE TENNESSEE.

SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND POSSIBLY
TORNADOES ARE EXPECTED IN THOSE AREAS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY MOVE INTO EXTREME NORTHWEST
GEORGIA...NORTHWEST OF A SUMMERVILLE TO RINGGOLD LINE AFTER SUNSET.
AS THE EVENING AND NIGHT PROGRESSES...THE STORMS TO THE WEST OF
GEORGIA WILL LIKELY MERGE INTO A LINE OF STRONG CONVECTION...WHICH
WILL MOVE ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA BETWEEN
MIDNIGHT FRIDAY AND SUNRISE SATURDAY. THE ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO
DIMINISH IN INTENSITY AS THE NIGHT PROGRESSES AND THE SEVERE THREAT
SHOULD DIMINISH CONSIDERABLY DURING THE MORNING HOURS SATURDAY AS
THE ACTIVITY PROGRESSES INTO EAST CENTRAL AND CENTRAL GEORGIA.

THE MAIN CONCERN FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...INCLUDING LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE WEST OF A LINE FROM LA GRANGE...TO
ATLANTA...TO GAINESVILLE. AT THIS TIME...THE MAIN THREAT FOR
TORNADOES WOULD BE WITH SUPERCELLS EARLIER IN THE EVENING ACROSS THE
EXTREME NORTHWEST PART OF THE STATE. FINALLY...A FEW SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE SATURDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE
SOUTHEAST PART OF MIDDLE GEORGIA.

IN ADDITION...TO THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT...THERE WILL ALSO BE THE
CONCERN FOR FLOODING ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA...ESPECIALLY THE NORTHEAST
MOUNTAINS. RAINFALL OF TWO TO THREE INCHES IS POSSIBLE IN THIS AREA
OVERNIGHT...WITH EVEN HEAVIER RAIN JUST TO THE NORTH IN TENNESSEE. A
FLOOD WATCH MAY NEED TO BE ISSUED FOR THE NORTHERN THIRD OF GEORGIA
FOR TONIGHT.

A MAJOR SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK IS LIKELY ACROSS THE
TENNESSEE...MIDDLE AND LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AREAS
TODAY...SPREADING EAST INTO NORTH GEORGIA AND EASTERN TENNESSEE
OVERNIGHT. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND EVEN TORNADOES ARE
POSSIBLE. STAY TUNED TO OUTLOOKS AND FORECASTS FROM THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE REGARDING THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER FRIDAY
THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.