Georgia, 2002

Heavy Snow in Georgia, January 3, 2002

January 3, 2002 · NWS GSP · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Flurries and light snow began in the early evening on the 2nd and became moderate to heavy by late evening. Heavy snowfall accumulations were reached beginning after midnight on the 3rd along and north of Interstate 85, with 4 to 6 inches observed by noon.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
3

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 GSP wrote it up.

Flurries and light snow began in the early evening on the 2nd and became moderate to heavy by late evening. Heavy snowfall accumulations were reached beginning after midnight on the 3rd along and north of Interstate 85, with 4 to 6 inches observed by noon.

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 Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 2, 9:48 PM EST, 2 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 2, 9:48 PM EST, 2 hours 12 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
948 PM EST WED JAN 2 2002

THE FORECAST IS GOING PRETTY MUCH AS PLANNED SO I DO NOT PLAN ANY
CHANGES TO GOING WINTER WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES. WE CONTINUE TO SEE
SNOW FROM THE FOOTHILLS INTO THE PIEDMONT WITH ANOTHER AREA OF SNOW
MOVING FROM THE ATLANTA AREA INTO THE SOUTHERN NC MTNS. BEST SNOW AT
THIS TIME FALLING FROM JUST SOUTH OF ANDERSON TO LAKE NORMAN.

.GSP...
GA...WINTER STORM WARNING TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY FOR ZONE GAZ029.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY FOR ZONES
     GAZ018-026-028.
NC...WINTER STORM WARNING TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY FOR ZONES
     NCZ036>037-057-071>072-082.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY FOR ZONES
     NCZ035-056-068>070.
SC...WINTER STORM WARNING TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY FOR ZONES
     SCZ009-011>014-019.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY FOR ZONES
     SCZ004>008-010.

RBN

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 2, 11:00 PM EST, 1 hour before
GAZ010-017-NCZ033-034-048>055-058-059-062>067-SCZ001>003-031000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1100 PM EST WED JAN 2 2002

...LIGHT SNOW SPREADING FROM NORTHEAST GEORGIA MOUNTAINS UP THE
NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS WILL MAKE ROADS SLICK OVERNIGHT...

LOW PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO THROW MOISTURE INTO THE MOUNTAINS OF
NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND NORTH CAROLINA OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY AS IT
MOVES NORTHEAST THROUGH THE COASTLA WATERS OF THE CAROLINAS. THIS
COMBINED WITH UPPER DISTURBANCES MOVING ACROSS THE AREA WILL CAUSE
PATCHY LIGHT SNOW TO SPREAD THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS OVERNIGHT. LESS
THAN 2 INCHES TOTAL ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED FROM THIS SNOWFALL...
HOWEVER THIS WILL BE ENOUGH TO CAUSE SLICK SPOTS ON ROADWAYS.

THE LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF FROM THE SOUTHWEST DURING
THE DAY THURSDAY...BUT TEMPERATURES WILL STAY BELOW FREEZING. STRONG
NORTHWEST WINDS WILL PICK UP ON THURSDAY NIGHT...AND PRODUCE WIND
CHILL VALUES BELOW ZERO IN MANY LOCATIONS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE MEDIA FOR THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION.

FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/ER/GSP

RBN

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Rabun

When
January 3, 12:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where
Rabun forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
34.882, -83.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Habersham

When
January 3, 12:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where
Habersham forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
34.631, -83.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Stephens

When
January 3, 12:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where
Stephens forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
34.554, -83.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Georgia in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5278949, 5278950, 5278951.