Winter Weather — South Fulton, Georgia
2010-12-25 · South Fulton, Georgia
Event narrative
The Fulton County 911 Center reported average snowfall of 1.5 inches across the southern part of the county.
Wider weather episode
A deep closed upper low was rotating through the eastern and southeastern U.S. from the 25th through the 26th. Ample Gulf moisture was present across the region in advance of the upper trough to support widespread light to moderate rain. Sufficient residual cold air was present in advance of this system that rain quickly changed over to snow across north Georgia with dynamic cooling and additional cold air spreading southward as the attendant surface low moved from the eastern Gulf coastal region during the afternoon of the 25th to off the South Carolina/North Carolina coast by the morning of the 26th. This system later produced a major blizzard in the northeastern U.S. Snowfall of six to eight inches was common across many north Georgia counties, with snowfall of three to four inches common across the north Atlanta metropolitan counties and one to two inches across the south Atlanta metropolitan counties. Only a trace to one-half inch of snowfall was reported further south toward Columbus and Macon, where snow fell only briefly at the end of the precipitation event. Snow lingered in east central Georgia counties on the 26th as the surface deepened off the South Carolina/North Carolina coast. Snow showers and flurries lingered across much of north Georgia and even the northern parts of central Georgia on the 26th as temperatures struggled to even rise above freezing across north Georgia. For Atlanta, this was the first measurable snowfall on Christmas day since 1881. In addition, the 1.3 inches of snowfall that fell at the Atlanta airport before midnight on the 26th was just shy of the 1881 record of 1.6 inches of snowfall for Christmas day. The snowfall fell at a very busy travel time and combined with the subsequent blizzard in the northeastern U.S., caused significant disruptions to air travel at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for several days.
The following is a summary of the snowfall amounts received from counties within the Peachtree City, Georgia forecast area
Baldwin county - average of 1.0 inch, with only 0.5 inch in the southern part of the county;
Banks county - average of 4.0 inches;
Barrow county - average of 3.0 inches, with a range of 2.0 to 4.0 inches. 4.0 inches reported from both Statham and Winder;
Bartow county - average of 2.5 inches, with a range of 2.0 to 3.0 inches;
Bibb county - only trace amounts reported;
Butts county - average of 0.5 inch;
Carroll county - average of 2.0 inches, with a range of 2.0 to 3.0 inches;
Catoosa county - average of 5.0 inches, with up to 6.0 inches around Ringgold;
Chattooga county - average of 4.0 inches, except 2.5 inches or less in the Lyerly area;
Cherokee county - average of 2.5 inches, with a range of 2.0 inches in Canton to 3.5 inches in Woodstock;
Clarke county - average of 2.5 inches, with a range of less than 1.0 inch in Winterville to 3.0 inches in much of Athens;
Clayton county - average of 1.5 inches (just shy of the record snowfall amount for Christmas in Atlanta of 1.6 inches;
Cobb county - average of 2.0 inches, with a range of 1.0 inches in Mableton to 2.7 inches in the far northeast part of the county, northeast of Marietta;
Coweta county - average of 1.0 inch;
Dade county - up to 6.0 inches in the mountain areas;
Dawson county - average of 4.0 inches, with a range of 3.0 to 4.0 inches;
DeKalb county - average of 2.0 inches, with a range of 1.0 to 2.0 inches;
Douglas county - average of 1.5 inches, with up to 2.0 inches on the north side of Douglasville;
Fannin county - widespread 5.0 to 6.0 inches throughout the county;
Fayette county - average of 1.5 inches, with up to 2.0 inches in Fayetteville;
Floyd county - widespread 2.0 to 3.0 inches, with a range of 1.0 inch in Curryville to 3.0 inches in Rome;
Forsyth county - average of 2.0 inches, with a range of 1.5 to 3.0 inches;
Fulton county - average of 2.0 inches, with amounts as low as 1.0 inch in the west central part of the county;
Gilmer county - average of 5.0 inches, with a range of 4.0 inches in the lower elevations to 7.0 inches around Cherry Log;
Green county - average of 3.5 inches, with a range of 3.0 to 4.0 inches;
Glascock county - average of 0.5 inch;
Gwinnett county - average of 2.0 inches, with a range of 1.4 inches in Lawrenceviille to 2.1 inches just southeast of Dacula;
Gordon county - average of 3.0 inches;
Hall county - average of 2.0 inches, with a range of 1.0 to 3.0 inches;
Hancock county - average of 1.5 inch, with a range of 0.5 to 1.75 inches;
Haralson county - average of 2.0 inches;
Heard county - average of 1.0 inches, with a range of 0.5 to 1.0 inch;
Henry county - average of 1.0 inch;
Jackson county - average of 3.0 inches,with a range of 1.7 inches in Nicholson to 4.0 inches in Jefferson;
Johnson county - less than 0.5 inch of snow;
Jones county - average of 0.5 inch, with only trace amounts in the southern part of the county;
Jasper county - average of 0.5 inch;
Jefferson county - only trace amounts;
Lamar county - average of 0.5 inch;
Lumpkin county - average of 4.0 inches, with a range of 2.0 to 4.0 inches across the southern part of the county up to 6.0 inches at Camp Merrill in the northwest part of the county;
Madison county - average of 2.0 inches, with a range of 1.8 inches in the far southwest part of the county to 3.1 inches in Danielsville;
Meriwether county - average of 1.0 inch;
Monroe county - average of less than 0.5 inch;
Morgan county - average of 2.5 inches, with up to 3.0 inches in some areas;
Murray county - average of 4.0 inches, with a range of 3.0 inches in the lower elevations to 7.0 inches of snow at Fort Mountain State Park;
Muscogee county - only trace amounts reported;
Newton county - average of 1.0 inch;
Oconee county - an average of 2.5 inches, with a range of 2.0 inches in Bishop to 3.0 inches in Bogart;
Oglethorpe county - an average of 3.0 inches, with a range of 2.0 to 4.0 inches;
Paulding county - average of 3.5 inches, with a range of 3.0 inches north of Dallas to 4.0 inches in Dallas;
Pickens county - average of 3.0 inches, with a range of 2.0 to 4.0 inches;
Pike county - average of 0.5 inch;
Polk county - average of 2.5 inches, with a range of 2.0 to 3.0 inches;
Putnam county - average of 0.5 inch;
Spalding county - average of 1.0 inch;
Talbot county - only trace amounts reported;
Taliaferro county - average of 3.5 inches, with a range of 3.0 to 4.0 inches;
Taylor county - only trace amounts reported;
Towns county - widespread 5.0 to 6.0 inches of snow across the county;
Union county - average of 6.0 inches, with a range of 4.5 inches east of Blairsville to 7.0 inches in Suches.
Treutlen county - less than 0.5 inch on grassy surfaces;
Troup county - average of 1.0 inch, with less than 1.0 inch in the southern part of the county;
Upson county - average of less than 0.5 inch, with 0.5 inch in the northern part of the county;
Walker county - average of 5.0 inches, except only 4.0 inches in the lower elevations;
Walton county - average of 1.6 inches;
Warren county - average of 2.0 inches, with a range of 0.5 in the far southeast to 4.0 inches in the extreme north;
Washington county - average of 0.5 inch, with a range of a trace in the south to near 1.0 inch in the north;
White county - average of 2.5 inches, with a range of 2.0 inches at Cleveland to 3.0 inches in Helen;
Whitfield county - average of 3.5 inches, with up to 4.0 inches of snow around Cohutta;
Wilkes county - average of 3.0 inches, with a range of 1.5 to 4.0 inches.
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 275136. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.