Hail in Cobb County, Georgia

Well over a dozen reports of large hail, ranging in size from nickels to golf balls were received from the public across eastern Cobb county. The largest hail fell in the Marietta area. Golf ball-sized hail was reported on Interstate-75 at exit 263, on Roswell Road, on Clay Drive and at numerous other locations in Marietta. Several other locations in Marietta reported hail the size of half-dollars or ping-pong balls. Quarter-sized hail fell at Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta. As the storm moved south, it weakened some. Only penny to nickel-sized hail was reported in the Smyrna area.

Strong northwest flow, a result of an unseasonably deep polar vortex over the northeast U.S. and southeast Canada, combined with several short waves embedded within the northwest flow aloft, to lead to a two-day outbreak of severe thunderstorms. This was the most significant bout of severe weather north and central Georgia had experienced since mid-April with an almost complete lack of severe weather in May, normally a very active month. The activity peaked during the afternoon and evening hours, but lingered well overnight on the 11th into the early morning hours of the 12th. Most of these thunderstorms affected central and east central Georgia. More widespread severe thunderstorms were observed on the 12th, including much of the Atlanta metropolitan area. A number of the storms produced large hail, while a lesser amount produced damaging downburst winds.