Severe storms expected through Monday across Georgia

Georgians are waking up to some severe weather this morning.

A line of severe thunderstorms are sweeping through the state early Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

The metro Atlanta area is under a tornado watch until 10 a.m., according to the agency. Winds knocked down trees early this morning, according to reports from local fire departments.

“Severe weather is going to be likely in these areas and it’s going to be a little stronger in our western counties. And then a level 2 out of 5 for the rest of North Georgia,” Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Ashley Kramlich said Sunday night.

As of 6:30 a.m., about 54,000 customers across Georgia were without power, outage maps showed.

That includes more than 24,000 customers of Georgia Power, the state’s largest utility, and nearly 30,000 customers of the statewide network of electric membership cooperatives.

The outages were widespread across metro Atlanta and northwest Georgia as the storm system raced across the state.

The city of Atlanta, along with a wide swath of the state, is under a level 1 risk, as of 6:30 a.m. Monday. The southeast corner of the state, including Vidalia, is now under a level 3 threat as the storm system moves east.

The line of storms moved in from the west after midnight and marched across Georgia through the morning. The system brings the possibilities for tornadoes and damaging wind with gusts over 60 mph, or even exceeding 70 mph “in some pockets,” according to the Weather Service.

The worst of the storm will blow through the northwest corner of the state from 1-5 a.m. Monday. The peak of its fury will reach metro Atlanta between 4-8 a.m., though there is still some uncertainty about the exact timing, according to the NWS.

The agency warns that “brief spin-up tornadoes are not completely out of the question north of I-85,” and areas along and south of the interstate could see severe weather.

Large hail is also possible.

The system will move into east and central Georgia on Monday morning through the early afternoon.

Expect much colder temperatures to rush in after the storms, according to the NWS forecast, which predicts the mercury will fall to around 42 degrees by 3 p.m.

Some school systems were already adjusting schedules Sunday night in anticipation of the storm. Rockdale County Public Schools will start 2 1/2 hours late Monday, the district announced, citing tornado threats and the possibility of downed trees causing power outages.

Schools in Bartow, Henry and Newton counties will operate on a two-hour delay, the districts announced.

“Weather forecasts indicate the potential for severe storms in our area during the early morning hours, including the possibility of strong thunderstorms, damaging winds, and isolated tornadoes. These conditions could impact travel during our normal bus routes and arrival times,” Newton County Schools said in a social media post Sunday.

Wide swaths of the U.S. are experiencing severe weather, including heavy snow in the Upper Midwest.