NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA

740 AM EST FRI JAN 5 2007

INCLUES THESE NORTHWEST GEORGIA COUNTIES:

BARTOW-CARROLL-CATOOSA-CHATTOOGA-FLOYD-GORDON-OGLETHORPE-PAULDING-PICKENS-POLK-

WALKER

740 AM EST FRI JAN 5 2007

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA.

TODAY AND TONIGHT

ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH GEORGIA. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ARE EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING...MAINLY SOUTH OF CEDARTOWN TO ALPHARETTA TO ATHENS LINE.

.SYNOPSIS...

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO APPROACH GEORGIA FROM THE WEST...WHILE A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE AREA MOVES ACROSS THE GULF COAST STATES THROUGH THIS EVENING.

.PRIMARY HAZARDS...

THE PRIMARY HAZARD WOULD BE DAMAGING WINDS. ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA.

.DISCUSSION...

VERY WARM MOIST AIR HAS SPREAD NORTH ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS MORNING. CAPE VALUES ARE ALREADY OVER 500 ACROSS WESTCENTRAL GEORGIA. INSTABILITY IS FORECAST TO INCREASE FURTHER LATER TODAY WITH CAPE VALUES NEAR 1000 POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA. VERTICAL WIND SHEAR...WHILE NOT AS STRONG AS WITH PREVIOUS SYSTEMS...IS STILL VERY STRONG ACROSS THE AREA AND EXPECTED TO REMAIN STRONG THROUGH TONIGHT. THIS COMBINATION OF INSTABILITY AND VERTICAL WIND SHEAR WILL ALLOW FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY WITH STRONG DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY THREAT. THE VERTICAL WIND SHEAR WILL ALSO BE SUFFICIENT FOR ISOLATED

TORNADOES TO DEVELOP. TORNADOES DID OCCUR OVERNIGHT OVER PARTS OF ALABAMA WHEN THIS SYSTEM MOVED THROUGH.