Winter Storm in Georgia, December 13, 2000

Clockwise flow around a large Canadian high pressure system located over the mid-Atlantic states spread a wedge of cold air into northeast Georgia. Meanwhile, a series of disturbances in a moist southwest flow aloft brought periods of light rain to the region. As the rain fell into the colder, drier surface air present over northeast Georgia, evaporative cooling lowered temperatures to the freezing mark causing the rain to freeze on trees, power lines, and other exposed objects, as well as some bridges and overpasses. Ice accumulations were minor and inconveniences were minimal. Glaze accumulations only amounted to a trace at most locations. The freezing precipitation was generally confined to an area bounded by Gainesville, Winder, Athens, Homer, and back to Gainesville. Barrow county probably bore the brunt of the freezing rain episode, where local police reported less than 1/4 inch glaze of ice on trees and other exposed objects resulting in some small tree limbs breaking. Roads were not impacted as temperatures failed to fall any lower than 31 to 32 degrees F. Significant warm advection overtook the region shortly after sunset changing all of the precipitation to rain.