North Georgia and metro Atlanta face a wet, stormy stretch heading into the long holiday weekend as a stubborn weather pattern pins down regional travel and outdoor events.
Latest headlines
Here are the latest headlines:
4:38 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking north near Hog Mountain is expected to impact portions of Gwinnett and Hall counties through 5:00 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 50 mph winds, pea-sized hail, and frequent lightning, prompting officials to advise those outdoors to seek shelter immediately.
4:31 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking north near Suwanee is expected to impact portions of Forsyth, Gwinnett, and Hall counties through 5:00 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 50 mph winds, pea-sized hail, and frequent lightning, prompting officials to advise those outdoors to seek shelter immediately.
4:31 p.m. – The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for north-central Lincoln County and northwestern McCormick County until 5:00 p.m. Friday. The storm, tracking north near Abbeville, brings hazardous 60 mph wind gusts and quarter-sized hail, prompting officials to warn residents of potential damage to vehicles, trees, and powerlines.
4:24 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking north near Lumpkin is expected to impact portions of Chattahoochee and Stewart counties through 5:00 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 40 mph winds, pea-sized hail, and frequent lightning, prompting officials to advise those outdoors to seek shelter immediately.
4:23 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking north near Jackson is expected to impact portions of Henry, Butts, and Jasper counties through 5:00 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 40 mph winds, pea-sized hail, and frequent lightning, prompting officials to advise those outdoors to seek shelter immediately.
4:10 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking north near Lilburn is expected to impact portions of southwestern Gwinnett County through 4:30 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 50 mph winds, pea-sized hail, and frequent lightning, prompting officials to advise those outdoors to seek shelter immediately.
4:06 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking northeast near Talbotton is expected to impact portions of Upson, Crawford, Talbot, and Taylor counties through 4:30 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 50 mph winds, nickel-sized hail, and frequent lightning, prompting officials to advise those outdoors to seek shelter immediately.
3:56 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking north near Lincolnton is expected to impact portions of Lincoln and McCormick counties through 4:45 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 50 mph wind gusts and pea-sized hail, prompting officials to warn boaters on Lake Strom Thurmond to seek safe harbor and move indoors immediately.
3:48 p.m. – The severe thunderstorm warning in Banks County has been allowed to expire.
3:44 p.m. – There is a ground stop program in place at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport due to the weather.
3:20 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking north near Mauk is expected to impact portions of Marion, Talbot, and Taylor counties through 3:45 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 50 mph winds, nickel-sized hail, and frequent lightning, prompting officials to advise those outdoors to seek shelter immediately.
3:15 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking north near Talbotton is expected to impact portions of Upson and Talbot counties through 3:45 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 50 mph winds, nickel-sized hail, and frequent lightning, which could cause minor damage to tree limbs and unsecured objects.
3:12 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking north near Buena Vista is expected to impact portions of Marion, Schley, Talbot, and Taylor counties through 3:45 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 50 mph winds, nickel-sized hail, and frequent lightning, which could cause minor damage to tree limbs and unsecured objects.
3:11 p.m. – The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for northern Banks County until 3:45 p.m. Friday. The storm, tracking northeast near Homer, brings hazardous 60 mph wind gusts and quarter-sized hail, prompting officials to warn residents of potential property damage and to move indoors immediately.
3:08 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking north near Buena Vista is expected to impact portions of Marion, Schley, and Taylor counties through 3:45 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 50 mph winds, nickel-sized hail, and frequent lightning, prompting officials to advise those outdoors to seek shelter immediately.
3:05 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking northeast near Carnesville is expected to impact portions of Franklin, Stephens, Elbert, Hart, Anderson, and Oconee counties through 3:45 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 40 mph wind gusts, penny-sized hail, and frequent lightning, prompting officials to warn people outdoors and on Lake Hartwell to seek shelter immediately.
2:47 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking northeast near Gillsville is expected to impact portions of Banks and Hall counties through 3:15 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 50 mph winds, penny-sized hail, and frequent lightning, prompting officials to advise those outdoors to seek shelter immediately.
2:32 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking northeast near Pocataligo is expected to impact portions of Banks and Madison counties through 2:45 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 50 mph winds, nickel-sized hail, and frequent lightning, prompting officials to advise those outdoors to seek shelter immediately.
2:31 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking northeast near Bowman is expected to impact portions of Elbert, Hart, and Anderson counties through 3:00 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 40 mph wind gusts and penny-sized hail, which could knock down tree limbs and cause minor outdoor damage.
2:24 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking northeast near Carnesville is expected to impact portions of Franklin, Stephens, and Hart counties through 3:00 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 40 mph wind gusts and nickel-sized hail, which could knock down tree limbs and cause minor property damage.
2:17 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking northeast near Commerce is expected to impact portions of Banks, Jackson, and Madison counties through 2:30 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 50 mph winds, penny-sized hail, and frequent lightning, prompting officials to advise those outdoors to seek shelter immediately.
2:15 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm tracking northeast near Gainesville is expected to impact portions of Hall, White, and Lumpkin counties through 2:45 p.m. Friday. The storm brings threats of 50 mph winds, penny-sized hail, and frequent lightning, prompting officials to advise those outdoors to seek shelter immediately.
Storms loom large
A wet atmospheric setup is stalled over the Southeast, bringing a steady supply of warm, moist air straight from the Gulf of Mexico. The National Weather Service warns that several thunderstorms tracking through north Georgia and the Atlanta metro area could turn severe, bringing potential risks of localized flash flooding and damaging wind gusts. A Level 1 out of 5 severe storm threat is in place, with a heightened localized flash flood threat stretching over the Northeast Georgia mountains. Because this wet footprint is broad and dynamic across the state, this alert covers all of North Georgia and metro Atlanta.
Holiday weekend wetness
FOX 5 Storm Team meteorologist Doug Evans highlights that north Georgia is currently socked into an unseasonably early summer-like pattern. Evans notes that rain chances will rapidly expand each day, fed by the heat of the afternoon and rising regional humidity. “It’s not going to be a total washout every single minute, but we are looking at isolated to widespread events that will repeat on and on through Monday and past midweek,” Evans shared during the midday broadcast.
Afternoon downpour timing
Storms are expected to fire up daily following midday heating, keeping holiday travelers on high alert.
Friday Afternoon: Rain chances ramp up significantly around 3 p.m., turning into a much more coordinated, widespread line of storms pushing out of Alabama into metro Atlanta and central Georgia between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: Both days start off relatively dry and quiet in the morning hours before afternoon heat fuels another round of scattered popping storms.
Memorial Day Monday: Rain chances peak at their highest point for the weekend, presenting a widespread 90% chance of showers and storms by afternoon.
Trapped in humidity
A weak frontal boundary has effectively camped out just to our west, acting as a conveyor belt for tropical moisture pulling northward from the Gulf. When you mix that deep moisture with strong daytime heating, it triggers an atmospheric spark that keeps storms popping day after day. This type of persistent, locked-in pattern is something local residents usually don’t experience until much later in June.
Heavy rain targets
While these summer-like pop-up storms mean some neighborhoods will get drenched while others stay dry, overall rainfall totals will stack up quickly. North Georgia is on track to pick up a general 2 to 3 inches of rain over the holiday stretch. Pockets of the northeastern mountains could see isolated totals climb past 3 inches if heavy downpours repeatedly move over the same waterlogged areas. Metro Atlanta and central Georgia can expect lower, more scattered averages between 0.5 and 1.5 inches.
Travel and patios
If you are planning to hit the road after work or head down Interstate 75 or Interstate 85 toward the coast, prepare to drive through heavy downpours and reduced visibility. Stronger wind gusts inside afternoon storms could compromise weak tree limbs and pull down isolated power lines. Outdoor neighborhood barbecues, pool openings, and patio plans will require a backup indoor option, especially on Monday afternoon.
Seven-day regional outlook
Metro Atlanta
- Friday: High 85 / Afternoon Severe Storm Risk
- Saturday: High 86 / Scattered Afternoon Storms
- Sunday: High 85 / 60% Chance of Storms
- Memorial Day Monday: High 84 / 90% Widespread Storms
- Tuesday: High 85 / Scattered Showers
- Wednesday: High 86 / Pop-up Storms
- Thursday: High 84 / Lingering Rain
North Georgia
- Friday: High 71 / Storms and Localized Flash Flood Risk
- Saturday: High 78 / Afternoon Showers
- Sunday: High 76 / 60% Storm Chance
- Memorial Day Monday: High 75 / 90% Heavy Rain
- Tuesday: High 77 / Lingering Showers
- Wednesday: High 78 / Isolated Storms
- Thursday: High 76 / Rain Possible
Lingering storm threat
This stubborn pattern refuses to budge easily as the holiday concludes. The tropical moisture pipeline remains open, keeping scattered rain and afternoon storm threats parked over Georgia through midweek and all the way into next Thursday. Overnight low temperatures will remain mild and sticky in the 60s, with daytime highs holding steady in the mid-80s until a stronger system can clear the air.
