Severe Weather: Tornado Watch Issued

Large hail and isolated tornadoes could be generated by the storms that are forecast to move through Georgia today, according to the National Weather Service.

“Isolated tornadoes will be possible along the leading edge of the activity where the strong storms coincide with the favorable winds,” a “hazardous weather outlook” from the weather service reads. 

North Georgia has the highest probabilities for hail and tornadoes, according to the weather service.

The storm system is expected to gradually spread across Georgia throughout the afternoon.

Another storm system is predicted to move in late Saturday and into Sunday. The weather service said it will release more details on that storm as they become available.

At 1:30 p.m., the NWS issued a tornado watch for 47 other Georgia counties including Cobb. The watch, which means weather conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms to produce tornadoes, is in effect until 8 p.m.

Strong to severe storms will push into the northwest corner of Georgia by early afternoon and could bring damaging winds, large hail and isolated tornadoes. The Weather Channel reports the bad stuff could be arriving around 1 p.m. with the highest probability of it reaching Cartersville around 3 p.m.

"Increasing instability from a moist southerly flow off the Gulf of Mexico will combine with a favorable wind profile and advancing upper level disturbance to result in moderate severe weather threat [Monday] afternoon, especially across northern portions," NWS' Hazardous Weather Outlook states. "A squall line is expected to push out of the lower Mississippi River Valley into the forecast area with a swath of damaging winds likely marking its passage. In addition, isolated tornadoes will be possible along the leading edge of the activity where the stronger storms coincide with the favorable winds."

Winds could gust as high as 35 mph, according NWS' Wind Advisory. With sustained winds of 20 to 25 mph, the danger is driving difficulty, especially for high-profile vehicles, and downed tree limbs.

The advisory remains in effect until 7 p.m. The high temperature is expected to be near 75.

The cold front will bring in chillier temperatures Tuesday; the high is expected at 61 and the low at 33.