Winter Weather in Georgia, February 6, 2006

Name: Winter Weather in Georgia, February 6, 2006
Start: 2006-02-06T04:00
End: 2006-02-06T23:00
Location: Georgia

February 6, 2006 · NWS FFC · 30 events in 30 counties and zones

Light amounts of sleet and, in a few of the higher elevations, snow spread across the area. The bulk of the precipitation fell during the early morning hours between 4 am EST and 8 am EST.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 30 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: 30

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.

Light amounts of sleet and, in a few of the higher elevations, snow spread across the area. The bulk of the precipitation fell during the early morning hours between 4 am EST and 8 am EST. Temperatures across the area were mostly in the mid to upper 30s at the onset of the precipitation and had been in the 50s and 60s in prior days. Thus, accumulations of snow were limited mainly to the higher elevations of the northeast Georgia mountains, mainly for elevations above 3000 feet near the Lumpkin, Union, White county borders, where 1.0 to 2.0 inches of snow were reported. Patchy slick spots developed during the early morning hours on a few roads, mainly in the far northern counties. Patchy ice was reported on some of the bridges and overpasses on the north and west side of Atlanta during the early morning hours as well. A few roads in the northeast Georgia mountains were closed, but mainly as a precaution. The most snow reported was 2.0 inches at Suches in southern Union county, with 1.0 inch of snow reported at Ellijay in Gilmer county. Elsewhere...further south and west to near I-85 and I-20 west of Atlanta, just light trace amounts of sleet and snow were reported, with isolated locations in the northwest reporting up to 0.5 inch of sleet and snow.

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 Atlanta, GA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 5, 7:15 PM EST, 8 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 5, 7:15 PM EST, 8 hours 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
715 PM EST SUN FEB 5 2006

.UPDATE...
MANY UNCERTAINTIES EXIST CONCERNING POTENTIAL WINTER WX EVENT FOR
MONDAY...INCLUDING TIMING...EXTENT OF FROZEN PRECIP...AND QPF
AMOUNTS. FOR REASONS INDICATED IN THE SHORT TERM SECTION
BELOW...HAVE OPTED TO NOT UPGRADE NE MOUNTAIN AREA TO WARNING AND BY
THE SAME TOKEN HAVE OPTED NOT TO CANCEL WATCH. THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES TO EXISTING ADVISORY/WATCH IS TO EXTEND THE ADVISORY TO
MIDNIGHT FOR THE NE AND CHANGE THE WINTER WX ADVISORY IN THE NE
MOUNTAINS TO A SNOW ADVISORY. WILL LET MIDNIGHT SHIFT DECIDE IF IT
WANTS TO CANCEL WATCH AND UPGRADE SNOW ADVISORY TO A WARNING. HAVE
ALSO DELAYED WATCH/ADVISORY START TIME TO 8 AM FOR EASTERN AREAS AS
NEW MODEL RUNS SHOW NO PRECIP PAST DADE/FLOYD COUNTIES UNTIL AFT 12Z.

.SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT)
STRONG UPPER-LEVEL SHORT WAVE WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST INTO MEAN UPPER
TROUGH. WITH COLD...YET MODIFIED CANADIAN AIR MASS IN PLACE...THIS
CONTINUES TO CREATE CONCERN FOR WINTER PRECIPITATION. THE NEW MODEL
RUNS SHOW THE ENTIRE SYSTEM TO BE A LITTLE SLOWER AND A LITTLE
WARMER THAN EARLIER RUNS. CRITICAL SNOW/RAIN THICKNESS/850MB TEMPS
NEAR RMG-ATL-AHN AT 12Z...CREEPING NE INTO JUST THE MOUNTAIN AREAS
BY 18Z...THEN COMPLETELY OUT OF THE CWA DURING THE AFTERNOON...THEN
BACK INTO THE NORTHERN MOST COUNTIES BY EVENING. 850MB 0 DEG C LINE
NEAR THE TN/NC/GA BORDER BY EVENING. MY THINKING IS THAT THIS MAY
TREND TOWARD MORE OF A RAIN EVENT FOR THE ATL AREA AND POINTS
WEST...BUT POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW IN THE NE AREAS IS QUITE
POSSIBLE. HOWEVER...ALL OF THE MODELS SUGGEST THAT PRECIP COULD
CHANGE TO RAIN EVEN IN THE MOUNTAINS DURING THE AFTERNOON. HOPEFULLY
THE 00Z RUN WILL CLARIFY THE SITUATION FURTHER. SYSTEM EXITS THE
AREA AFTER 06Z TUE...WITH GOOD SUBSIDENCE IN PLACE TUE. TEMPERATURES
WILL REMAIN WELL BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE SHORT TERM. ONE OTHER
CONCERN...WITH SATURATED GROUND IN PLACE...WILL BE THE RAINFALL FOR
MON AFTERNOON/EVE. WILL NOT ISSUE ANY FLOOD WATCH AT THIS TIME AS
EXPECT OVERALL QPF AMOUNT AROUND 0.50 INCH.

.LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY)
EASTERN U.S. TROUGH REMAINS IN PLACE THROUGH THE ENTIRE EXTENDED
PERIOD. SEVERAL REINFORCING SHORT WAVES...ALBERTA CLIPPER TYPE
SYSTEMS...WILL REINFORCE THE PATTERN AS THE LARGE UPPER TROUGH
GRADUALLY BROADENS AND RETROGRADES. FURTHER SYSTEMS APPEAR TO BE
STARVED FOR SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE...BUT ALL AREAS COLD ENOUGH FOR ANY
PRECIP TO BE IN THE FORM OF SNOW. NEXT SIGNIFICANT DISTURBANCE
PASSES ACROSS THE AREA THU MORNING...BUT MOISTURE IS VERY LIMITED.
ONLY FLURRIES OR -SNSH EXPECTED WITH THIS AT THE CURRENT TIME. NEXT
SHORT WAVE ON SAT...AGAIN WITH ONLY LIMITED MOISTURE TO WORK WITH.
LATEST RUNS OF THE GFS SHOW A MORE SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM EARLY NEXT
WEEK...BUT TOO FAR OUT TO WORRY ABOUT RIGHT NOW. PATTERN WILL KEEP
TEMPERATURES BELOW NORMAL MOST OF THE WEEK...A BIG CHANGE FROM THIS
WINTER UP TO NOW. FREEZING TEMPERATURES SHOULD ENCOMPASS THE ENTIRE
CWA MANY NIGHTS THIS WEEK.

&&

.AVIATION...
HIGH CLOUDINESS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE FROM THE WEST THIS
EVENING. EXPECT A MID LEVEL DECK (BKN060) TO DEVELOP TOWARD MORNING
AS A SURFACE LOW AND A SERIES OF UPPER DISTURBANCES BEGIN TO PUSH
OUT OF TEXAS. OTHERWISE...EXPECTING NO SIGNIFICANT WX...CIGS OR
VSBYS RESTRICTIONS THRU TONIGHT. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE
NORTHEAST GULF REGION WILL RESULT IN GENERALLY LIGHT W-SW SURFACE
WINDS TONIGHT. AS FOR MONDAY...A SURFACE LOW WILL PUSH INTO THE
LOWER MS VALLEY AND SPREAD PRECIPITATION INTO CENTRAL GEORGIA BY 8-9
AM MONDAY MORNING. CIGS WILL PROBABLY LOWER INTO THE 3500 TO 5000
RANGE DURING THE MID MORNING HOURS...THEN MVFR RANGE DURING THE
AFTERNOON WITH THE ONSET OF MODERATE PRECIP. COULD SEE A MIX OF SNOW
AND RAIN AROUND THE KATL AIRPORT EARLY ON MONDAY AS TEMPS NEAR THE
SURFACE DIP NEAR THE FREEZING MARK WITH EXTREMELY DRY DEWPOINTS
IN-PLACE. HOWEVER...NOT EXPECTING ANY SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS OR
ICE AT THIS TIME.

&&

.FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 8 AM MONDAY TO MIDNIGHT EST MONDAY
NIGHT FOR BANKS...CHEROKEE...DAWSON...FORSYTH...HALL...PICKENS.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 AM TO 6 PM EST MONDAY FOR
BARTOW...CATOOSA...CHATTOOGA...DADE...FLOYD...GORDON...MURRAY...WALKE
R...WHITFIELD.

SNOW ADVISORY FROM 8 AM MONDAY TO MIDNIGHT EST MONDAY NIGHT FOR
FANNIN...GILMER...LUMPKIN...TOWNS...UNION...WHITE.

WINTER STORM WATCH FROM 7 AM EST MONDAY THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON FOR
BARROW...CARROLL...COBB...DEKALB...DOUGLAS...GWINNETT...HARALSON...JA
CKSON...NORTH FULTON...PAULDING...POLK...SOUTH FULTON.

WINTER STORM WATCH FROM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON FOR
BARROW...CARROLL...COBB...DEKALB...DOUGLAS...GWINNETT...HARALSON...
JACKSON...NORTH FULTON...PAULDING...POLK...SOUTH FULTON.

&&

RAB/DD

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 5, 6:15 PM EST, 9 hours 45 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
615 PM EST SUN FEB 5 2006

GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086-
089>098-102>113-061000-
DADE-WALKER-CATOOSA-WHITFIELD-MURRAY-FANNIN-GILMER-UNION-TOWNS-
CHATTOOGA-GORDON-PICKENS-DAWSON-LUMPKIN-WHITE-FLOYD-BARTOW-
CHEROKEE-FORSYTH-HALL-BANKS-JACKSON-MADISON-POLK-PAULDING-COBB-
NORTH FULTON-GWINNETT-BARROW-CLARKE-OCONEE-OGLETHORPE-WILKES-
HARALSON-CARROLL-DOUGLAS-SOUTH FULTON-DEKALB-ROCKDALE-WALTON-
NEWTON-MORGAN-GREENE-TALIAFERRO-HEARD-COWETA-FAYETTE-CLAYTON-
SPALDING-HENRY-BUTTS-JASPER-PUTNAM-HANCOCK-WARREN-TROUP-
MERIWETHER-PIKE-UPSON-LAMAR-MONROE-JONES-BALDWIN-WASHINGTON-
GLASCOCK-JEFFERSON-HARRIS-TALBOT-TAYLOR-CRAWFORD-BIBB-TWIGGS-
WILKINSON-JOHNSON-EMANUEL-MUSCOGEE-CHATTAHOOCHEE-MARION-SCHLEY-
MACON-PEACH-HOUSTON-BLECKLEY-LAURENS-TREUTLEN-STEWART-WEBSTER-
SUMTER-DOOLY-CRISP-PULASKI-WILCOX-DODGE-TELFAIR-WHEELER-
MONTGOMERY-TOOMBS-
615 PM EST SUN FEB 5 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

...SNOW IS POSSIBLE ACROSS EXTREME NORTHWEST GEORGIA LATE TONIGHT...

...A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH GEORGIA
BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH MONDAY...

.SYNOPSIS...
A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY
TONIGHT...INCREASING MOISTURE AND THE CHANCE FOR SNOW OVER NORTHWEST
GEORGIA LATE TONIGHT.

.PRIMARY HAZARDS...
LIGHT SNOW COULD BEGIN TO FALL ACROSS EXTREME NORTHWEST GEORGIA LATE
TONIGHT. LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE ON EXPOSED SURFACES...
INCLUDING BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES AS TEMPERATURES TONIGHT FALL JUST
BELOW THE FREEZING MARK ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA. THE LIGHT SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS COULD RESULT IN A FEW SLICK SPOTS ACROSS NORTHWEST
GEORGIA BRIDGES JUST BEFORE SUNRISE.

.DISCUSSION...
AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL COMBINE WITH INCREASING GULF
MOISTURE AND COLD TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW AND MID LEVELS TO BRING A
THREAT OF SNOW TO AREAS ACROSS NORTHWEST GEORGIA LATE TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.
AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS THE DEEP SOUTH ON
MONDAY. AREAS OF PRECIPITATION WILL DEVELOP ACROSS GEORGIA BY EARLY
MONDAY MORNING AND CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY EVENING. A COLD AND DRY
AIRMASS ACROSS NORTHERN GEORGIA WILL ALLOW THE PRECIPITATION TO FALL
AS SNOW OR A MIX OF SNOW AND RAIN. ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE TO TWO
INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE ON EXPOSED SURFACES ACROSS NORTH
GEORGIA...INCLUDING BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. THE MAIN WINTERY THREAT
IS GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM ROME...TO CANTON...TO
GAINESVILLE. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY AND WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN
EFFECT FOR AREAS OF NORTH GEORGIA FOR MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

30 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Banks

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Banks forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.354, -83.497 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Barrow

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Barrow forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 33.993, -83.713 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Bartow

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Bartow forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.238, -84.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Carroll

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Carroll forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 33.583, -85.080 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Catoosa

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Catoosa forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.904, -85.138 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Cherokee

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Cherokee forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.244, -84.476 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Cobb

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Cobb forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 33.942, -84.577 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Dade

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Dade forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.855, -85.504 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Dawson

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Dawson forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.444, -84.171 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, De Kalb

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: De Kalb forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 33.772, -84.226 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Douglas

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Douglas forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 33.702, -84.768 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Fannin

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Fannin forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.864, -84.320 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Floyd

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Floyd forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.263, -85.214 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Forsyth

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Forsyth forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.226, -84.125 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Gilmer

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Gilmer forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.691, -84.456 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Gordon

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Gordon forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.503, -84.876 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Gwinnett

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Gwinnett forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 33.962, -84.024 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Hall

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Hall forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.317, -83.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Haralson

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Haralson forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 33.794, -85.211 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Jackson

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.134, -83.566 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lumpkin

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Lumpkin forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.572, -84.003 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Madison

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.128, -83.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Murray

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Murray forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.788, -84.748 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Pickens

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Pickens forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.464, -84.466 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Polk

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Polk forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.002, -85.188 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Towns

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Towns forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.917, -83.737 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Union

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Union forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.834, -83.991 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Walker

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Walker forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.736, -85.301 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, White

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: White forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.646, -83.747 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Whitfield

When: February 6, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Whitfield forecast zone
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 34.806, -84.967 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Georgia in 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in Georgia, February 2006

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: 5491182, 5491183, 5491184, 5491185, 5491186, 5491187, 5491188, 5491189, 5491190, 5491191, 5491287, 5491288, 5491289, 5491290, 5491291, 5491292, 5491293, 5491294, 5491295, 5491296, 5491297, 5491298, 5491299, 5491300, 5491301, 5491302, 5491303, 5491304, 5491305, 5491306.