Hail — Cherokee, Georgia

2008-03-15 · near Cherokee, Cherokee, Georgia

Event narrative

Numerous reports of large damaging hail were received from the Cherokee County Emergency Management Director and the public from southern and eastern Cherokee county. The hail began in the southwest part of the county between Canton and Cherokee, where the Emergency Manager reported quarter-sized hail. Shortly thereafter, the Emergency Manager and the public reported golf ball-sized hail in the Holly Springs area. As the thunderstorm continued on its east-northeastward track, hail up to the size of baseballs was reported by the Emergency Manager from the Buffington and Free Home areas.

Wider weather episode

The pattern that began to evolve on March 14th continued and intensified on March 15th. A stationary front remained draped across north Georgia from near Atlanta to Athens. South of this front, the air mass was becoming increasingly warm, moist and unstable. Meanwhile, aloft, a low amplitude, yet vigorous short wave embedded within a fast zonal flow, was tracking rapidly eastward from the mid south into the southeast. Strong shear and high helicity combined with the unstable air mass and the frontal boundary to allow repeated severe thunderstorms to develop and track eastward along the boundary across north Georgia. The activity began early in the day as a complex of thunderstorms moved into the area from Alabama and continued until nearly midnight. As the day progressed, especially during the afternoon, the development of the activity gradually progressed further south and by midnight had reached the south and southeast parts of the state. Numerous severe thunderstorms and tornadic supercells were observed throughout the day.

Historical records indicate that this was one of the most significant severe weather days for the Peachtree City Weather Forecast Office with more events and warnings than had been observed since May 2003.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.1700, -84.5500)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 87607. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.