Ice Storm in Towns, Georgia

Sleet showers began through the late evening and overnight hours of the 24th. Sleet accumulations transitioned over to freezing rain through the early morning of the 25th and continued through the day. The heaviest ice accumulations occurred with the second push of precipitation in the afternoon of the 25th. All precipitation ended Thursday evening with total ice accumulations of 0.25 to 0.5 across the county.

A complex setup characterized by moisture overrunning an entrenched wedge of cold air at the surface led to freezing rain and sleet beginning across north Georgia late on the night of January 24 and persisting through much of the day on January 25. Widespread ice accretion of one-tenth to one-quarter inch ice occurred with some areas receiving over a half inch of freezing rain accumulation.

Significant tree damage and power outages occurred in the worst-affected areas of northeast Georgia, while spotty tree damage and isolated power outages occurred in other areas. Additionally, a layer of sleet occurred in much of northeast Georgia, leading to hazardous roadways.

The hardest hit areas locally were White County as well as portions of Dawson and Lumpkin counties. The vast majority of the White County lost power with many locations remaining without power for a few days.