Winter Storm in Georgia, January 6 to 7, 1996

A low pressure area which developed near the Louisiana coast tracked east-northeastward across Georgia and the Carolinas and became a major winter storm over the Mid-Atlantic and New England states. Precipitation in Georgia began on the 6th as rain except as a mixture of rain, sleet, and snow in the higher elevations. The heavy snow track was generally north of a line from Rome to Toccoa. Amounts were around 3 inches in northwest and north central Georgia but increased to 3 to 6 inches in Union, Towns, and Rabun counties of northeast Georgia. From 7 to 12 inches were reported on the ground in the higher elevations of northeast Georgia by mid- afternoon on the 7th. A state of emergency was declared in Habersham, Rabun, Stephens, and White counties where property damage was reported. 2500 homes in northeast Georgia were without power because of accumulating snow and falling trees knocking down power lines. Snow fell in the Atlanta and Athens areas but amounted to only an inch, which was still enough to cause traffic problems.