Winter Storm in Cobb County, Georgia

Sleet and snow began to fall between 5-6 AM across Cobb County (northwest metro Atlanta). Snow became heavy at times between 7-9 AM with widespread 2 to 4 inches of snow accumulations being reported by 10 AM. Between 9-10 AM, the snow gradually mixed with sleet and freezing rain with another 1/10 to 2/10 inches of ice accumulation on top of the snow. Wintry precipitation changed over to light rain early in the afternoon before ending shortly thereafter.

An Arctic airmass was entrenched across the eastern United States during mid-January. As an area of low pressure developed over the northern coast of the Gulf and pushed eastward, moisture spread northward into the lingering cold airmass beginning during the early morning hours of January 10th. Temperatures throughout the atmospheric column were initially cold enough for snow across north Georgia on the morning of Friday, January 10th. However, warm air advection aloft led to a changeover to mostly freezing rain across most of north Georgia by the afternoon and evening hours. By the time the precipitation ended, several inches of snow as well as one-tenth to one-third of an inch of freezing rain had accumulated across most of north Georgia.