ATLANTA – Metro Atlanta is bracing for a wave of strong to severe storms overnight into the early hours of Sunday. While this is nothing we haven’t seen before, it has been a while since a system of this type has passed through the state.

The same severe weather outbreak affecting parts of Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas is expected to spread east toward northern Georgia on Sunday morning. What awaits us is unlikely to be nearly as intense as what our western neighbors have experienced.

Visibility worsened Saturday evening as temperatures continued to rise, reaching the 60s during the overnight hours. The King and Queen buildings in Sandy Springs were barely visible against the dreary skyline.

The threat of severe weather is expected to begin at midnight with isolated cells in front of the main line.

The main squall line will begin crossing the Alabama-Georgia state line around 4 a.m. It will take from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. for the line to run through all of North Georgia. The worst weather is expected in the metropolitan area between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. Areas north and northeast of Atlanta, such as Gainesville and Cornelia, could see over 2 inches of rainfall, while the metro area could see over 1/2 inch of rainfall.

Due to the timing of this system, it is important to receive overnight weather alerts to wake you up. This could include wireless emergency alerts on your phone or a weather radio.

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Saturated soils combined with heavy rainfall could lead to localized flash flooding. Strong winds associated with these storms may bring down trees and power lines, and isolated, brief tornadoes cannot be ruled out, particularly in areas south of Atlanta where conditions are most favorable.

The storm is expected to dissipate by midday Sunday with gusty winds in excess of 20 miles per hour. Temperatures rise to around 67 degrees, which is average for this time of year.

Weather forecast for New Year’s Eve

The extended forecast shows calmer weather with a slight chance of rain on New Year’s Eve and clear skies on New Year’s Day.

The source

FOX 5 Atlanta Storm Team Meteorologists Alex Forbes and Julie Martin contributed to this story from Atlanta.

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