Ice Storm in Georgia, January 2 to 3, 2002

Name: Ice Storm in Georgia, January 2 to 3, 2002
Start: 2002-01-02T18:30
End: 2002-01-03T04:30
Location: Georgia

January 2 to 3, 2002 · NWS CHS · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A winter storm moved across the southeastern states on January 2 and January 3 producing light snow and sleet before changing to mostly freezing rain. Ice accumulation was generally 1/4 to 1/2 inch.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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 CHS wrote it up.

A winter storm moved across the southeastern states on January 2 and January 3 producing light snow and sleet before changing to mostly freezing rain. Ice accumulation was generally 1/4 to 1/2 inch. There were tens of thousands of homes and businesses without power during the heart of the storm with numerous auto accidents.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Charleston, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 2, 4:30 PM EST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 2, 4:30 PM EST, 2 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
430 PM EST WED JAN 2 2002

WILL LEAVE WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES AS IN PREVIOUS UPDATE THROUGH
THU. EXPECT INLAND AREAS TO SEE AROUND ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH OF
FREEZING PRECIP BEFORE IT CHANGES TO SLEET TONIGHT THEN TO SNOW
TOWARDS MORNING. ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY THU
EXPECTED TO BE 1 TO 2 OR EVEN UP TO 3 INCHES FOR INLAND AREAS AND
LESS THAN 1 INCH FOR SC COASTAL SECTIONS. COASTAL SC SHOULD SEE
FREEZING RAIN WITH LESSER AMOUNTS EXPECTED AND A CHANGE OVER TO SNOW
EARLY THU. IMMED COASTAL GA EXPECTED TO SEE RAIN WITH PRECIP TO
TAPER OFF TONIGHT. WILL HAVE A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS FOR THU ALL
AREAS WITH BETTER CHANCE OVER NRN PORTION OF CWA CLOSER TO UPPER LOW
AND BETTER VORT ENERGY. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE A SWATH OF UP
TO AN INCH OR SO OVER NRN PORTION OF CWA. WILL GO WITH FLURRIES
POSSIBLE THU NIGHT BUT DO NOT EXPECT MUCH TO AMOUNT FR0M THIS.

WILL GO WITH A LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT INTO THU.

MARINE...WILL RAISE GALES FOR ALL WATERS EXCEPT CHS HARBOR. WINDS
GUSTING TO GALE FORCE SINCE EARLY AFTN AT GRAYS REEF. AS LOW CONTS
TO STRENGTHEN AND THEN MOVE OVER FL...LOW CONFIDENCE IN WINDS
DECREASING MUCH UNTIL LATE TONIGHT. AS LOW PASSES JUST E OF WATERS
SHOULD SEE WINDS BACK TO NW AND DECREASE A BIT. SEAS WILL SUBSIDE AS
FETCH IS LOST. EXPECTING LOW TO PASS E OF SC WATERS AROUND 06Z. FOR
THU NIGHT...EXPECTING A GOOD SURGE AS STRONG H5 TROF PASSES OVER THE
WATERS.

FCSTID = 18
CHS   29  36  25  47 / 100  50  20  10
SAV   30  38  25  47 /  80  30  10  10
CHL   32  40  30  50 / 100  50  20  10
NBC   30  38  24  47 / 100  50  20  10
RBW   27  34  22  45 / 100  50  20  10

.CHS...
GA...WINTER STORM WARNING GAZ087>088-099-100-114-115.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY GAZ101-116-118-137-138-140.
     GALE WARNING AMZ354-AMZ374.
SC...WINTER STORM WARNING TSCZ040-042>045.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY SCZ047>050.
     GALE WARNING AMZ350-352.
     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY AMZ330.
     LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR LAKE MOULTRIE SCZ045.

SLF/JMB/JH

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Candler

When: January 2, 6:30 PM EST to January 3, 4:30 AM EST
Where: Candler forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 32.403, -82.074 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Screven

When: January 2, 6:30 PM EST to January 3, 4:30 AM EST
Where: Screven forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.751, -81.612 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Bulloch

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:30 AM EST
Where: Bulloch forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 32.397, -81.743 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Jenkins

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Jenkins forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 32.793, -81.963 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Tattnall

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:30 AM EST
Where: Tattnall forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.046, -82.058 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Evans

When: January 2, 8:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Evans forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 32.157, -81.887 (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

Every storm in Georgia in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Georgia, January 2002

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: 5278024, 5278123, 5278023, 5278025, 5278124, 5278022.