NWS Issues Severe Thunderstorm Watch For GA Counties

Updated 2:38 p.m.

GEORGIA — A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for dozens of Georgia counties Friday due to the possibility of strong to severe storms.

The National Weather Service initiated the alert until 8 p.m. for several counties, including:

• Barrow
• Clarke
• Clayton
• Cobb
• Coweta
• DeKalb
• Douglas
• Fayette
• Forsyth
• Fulton
• Gwinnett
• Hall
• Henry
• Muscogee
• Oconee
• Paulding
• Rockdale

In an update, the NWS said a couple of tornadoes are possible to spin in the impacted area, which includes metro Atlanta. Wind gust speeds could reach 70 mph, and hail could span the size of a ping pong ball.

Earlier Friday, the NWS told Patch that Georgia would face a cold front and a line of strong to severe storms Friday.

The rapid system was expected to travel from northwest to southeast Georgia, establishing a peak for severe threats until 2 p.m. in metro Atlanta. This is when the warmest of the temperatures was expected to provide "plenty of fuel to get those storms today," NWS meteorologist Meredith Wyatt said.

Weather officials planned to monitor for the chance of a brief embedded spin-up tornado, a secondary threat.

RELATED: 'The Wire' Actor's GA Home Crushed In Tornado That Injured Him, His Son

Cloud to ground lightning could be make outdoor activities difficult, Wyatt said. Saturated grounds and high wind can lead to downed trees and power lines for the area, she added.

The NWS was also monitoring localized river flooding but did not anticipate flash flooding that could wash out roads.

During a wet pattern, Saturday and Monday could be dry in Georgia; but, Wyatt warned of minimal chances of isolated storms on Sunday in the far north portion of the state. Metro Atlanta is not included.

This all comes a day after an EF-2 tornado ripped through "The Wire" actor Tray Chaney's home in Locust Grove, injuring him and his son. Chaney took to Instagram to say his son remained in the intensive care unit Friday after the tornado tossed him 300 feet away from home.

Updates will be posted on the weather service's Twitter page, the weather service's Facebook page and its website.

Here is the National Weather Service's Friday afternoon forecast for metro Atlanta:

This Afternoon: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 3 p.m., then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. West wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 83.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 86.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 66.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68.

Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.

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