Severe Thanksgiving Storms May Drench Plans In GA

ATLANTA, GA — Anyone wanting to deep fry a turkey outside for Thanksgiving may wish to reconsider, as storms are in the forecast for Georgia.

Most of the state is under a Level 1 marginal risk for isolated severe thunderstorms, excluding far northwest Georgia, said Ryan Willis, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

He told Patch that weather officials are monitoring for potential brief spin-up tornadoes throughout the state. During severe storms, Willis said wind gusts could climb up to 60 mph.

With rainfall forecast to reach less than an inch, flooding is not a primary concern.

The storms could be the introduction to a cold front that will drop temperatures, leaving the warm weather behind and ushering in cooler temperatures during the weekend.

Metro Atlanta could feel high temperatures of 60 degrees through Thanksgiving Day, but the expected cold front could push colder air into the air into the area, starting Friday and into next week, Willis said.

He urged residents to check the Thanksgiving Day forecast as the holiday nears and to prepare for the cold weather ahead.

As of around 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, here is the National Weather Service's detailed forecast for metro Atlanta:

Tuesday Afternoon: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Northwest wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 42. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night: A slight chance of showers before 1 a.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m., then showers likely after 4 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. South wind 5-10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Thanksgiving Day: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10 a.m., then a chance of showers between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. Southwest wind around 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 50.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 31.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 44.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 24.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 42.