Georgia, 1997

Ice Storm in Georgia, January 8 to 9, 1997

January 8 to 9, 1997 · NWS FFC · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

Freezing rain coated trees and power lines in northeast Georgiaas far south as northern Fulton county. Roads remained in fairly good shape over the area although there were a few traffic accidents with cars sliding off the road in icy areas or encountering fallen trees on the roadways.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 14 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
14

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS FFC wrote it up.

Freezing rain coated trees and power lines in northeast Georgiaas far south as northern Fulton county. About 25,000 northeast Georgians were without power and schools in 7 counties were closed.Roads remained in fairly good shape over the area although there were a few traffic accidents with cars sliding off the road in icy areas or encountering fallen trees on the roadways. The hardest hit counties were Hall and Forsyth.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Murray

When
January 8, 7:00 PM EST to January 9, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Murray forecast zone
Coordinates
34.788, -84.748 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Fannin

When
January 8, 7:00 PM EST to January 9, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Fannin forecast zone
Coordinates
34.864, -84.320 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Gilmer

When
January 8, 7:00 PM EST to January 9, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Gilmer forecast zone
Coordinates
34.691, -84.456 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Union

When
January 8, 7:00 PM EST to January 9, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Union forecast zone
Coordinates
34.834, -83.991 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Towns

When
January 8, 7:00 PM EST to January 9, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Towns forecast zone
Coordinates
34.917, -83.737 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Pickens

When
January 8, 7:00 PM EST to January 9, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Pickens forecast zone
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
34.464, -84.466 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Dawson

When
January 8, 7:00 PM EST to January 9, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Dawson forecast zone
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
34.444, -84.171 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Lumpkin

When
January 8, 7:00 PM EST to January 9, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Lumpkin forecast zone
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
34.572, -84.003 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, White

When
January 8, 7:00 PM EST to January 9, 11:00 AM EST
Where
White forecast zone
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
34.646, -83.747 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Cherokee

When
January 8, 7:00 PM EST to January 9, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Cherokee forecast zone
Coordinates
34.244, -84.476 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Forsyth

When
January 8, 7:00 PM EST to January 9, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Forsyth forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
34.226, -84.125 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Hall

When
January 8, 7:00 PM EST to January 9, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Hall forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
34.317, -83.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Banks

When
January 8, 7:00 PM EST to January 9, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Banks forecast zone
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
34.354, -83.497 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Madison

When
January 8, 7:00 PM EST to January 9, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Madison forecast zone
Coordinates
34.128, -83.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Georgia in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, January 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5586872, 5586873, 5586874, 5586875, 5586876, 5586877, 5586878, 5586879, 5586880, 5586881, 5586882, 5586883, 5586884, 5586885.