National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Thunderstorms and Heavy Rain Across the Southern and Eastern US; Heat and Fire Weather Concerns in the West

Showers and thunderstorms are expected across the southern and eastern US this week, with heavy rain and localized flooding, particularly near the Gulf Coast. Monsoonal moisture will bring rain and potential flooding to parts of the Southwest. Heat and fire weather threats will continue to impact the West. Read More >

The Atlanta Center Weather Service Unit (ZTL CWSU) is located at the Federal Aviation  Administration (FAA) Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) in Hampton, Georgia. The CWSU is staffed by four National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists. Our hours of operation are from 5:30 AM to 9:15 PM daily.                                                                  

Atlanta Center is one of 21 ARTCCs in the United States and covers portions of 6 states (Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee), covering over 103,000 square miles of airspace. Within the Atlanta Center area, there are 15 radar approach control facilities, and 13 internal airports. Among these, the Atlanta Hartsfield airport (ATL) is consistently one of the world's busiest, and weather conditions affecting ATL arrivals and departures can have a major impact on the entire National Airspace System (NAS). This center handles nearly 3 million aircraft operations per year, or more than 8000 per day.         

Our main responsibility is to provide up to the minute weather information and briefings to the ZTL Traffic Management Unit (TMU) and operations supervisors. Special emphasis is given to weather conditions that would be hazardous to aviation or would impede the flow of air traffic  in the NAS. CWSU meteorologists also issue two unscheduled products. The Center  Weather Advisory (CWA) is an aviation weather warning for thunderstorms, icing, turbulence, and low IFR ceilings and visibilities. The Meteorological Impact Statement (MIS) is a 2-12  hour forecast for weather conditions which are expected to impact ARTCC operations.

Contact Info: Phone Number Operations 770.210.7693 Admin ext. 7871.