Surprise Sleet Interrupts BellSouth Classic
Shortly after I got to Sugarloaf Country Club and the BellSouth Classic at 10:00 this morning, an unexpected round of sleet and snow passed over the course. Walking along the 12th fairway, conditions deteriorated rapidly, as rain and sleet began to fall.
Fortunately, a corporate hospitality “Sky Box” was at the 10th green, and its owners were kind enough to let the few spectators in the area in for the duration of the storm, which was about 20 minutes. The whole thing caused about an hour and a half delay of the tournament, although conditions improved (if 55 degrees and 30 MPH winds can be called an improvement).
Similar conditions were reported in Dacula and Suwanee, which received half inch hail. Grayson, Morrow, Alpharetta and Mableton each reported light snow. At 10:30, the Weather Service updated its forecast to warn of the chance of sleet and hail during the day; in my opinion a matter of updating the forecast to match conditions, rather than seeing the possibility in advance.
So, what happened? The upper level low that passed over Georgia overnight was located in Virginia. The low is associated with several fronts that rotate counter-clockwise around the center of the low. The major cold front passed over North Georgia overnight, ending most of the precipitation, and bringing in colder air.
Behind the cold front was a secondary shortwave low pressure trough, which was able to wring out just a little more precipitation from the air. The cold air aloft was enough to turn the precipitation into sleet and snow.
Fortunately, the low continues to move away from us, and conditions should be better tomorrow, with lighter winds, and temperatures in the mid 60s. Conditions will continue to improve for the early part of the week, until the next storm system moves in on Thursday to potentially delay the start of the Masters.
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