An Arctic air mass was retreating northeastward out of the region. Strong mid-level warm advection and a weak disturbance in southwest flow provided support for light precipitation.
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.
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.
The episode as NWS FFC wrote it up.
An Arctic air mass was retreating northeastward out of the region. Strong mid-level warm advection and a weak disturbance in southwest flow provided support for light precipitation. Temperatures were still below freezing when the precipitation initially tracked across far northwest Georgia. Brief showers of moderate to heavy sleet fell across Dade, Walker, and Whitfield counties during the mid and late morning hours on the 23rd. Some roads, especially in Dade county, became slick and hazardous for a few hours during the morning, especially Georgia Highway 136 and roads in the Lookout Mountain area. A couple of traffic accidents occurred as a result of the slick roads.
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 Dec 23, 9:47 AM EST, 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 947 AM EST TUE DEC 23 2008 .UPDATE... MAIN PROBLEM IS THE REFLECTIVITY RETURNS OVER ALABAMA THAT ARE INCREASING AND MOVING NORTHEAST INTO NORTH GEORGIA. THE PRECIP IS FALLING FROM MID LEVEL CIGS AND WITH VERY DRY AIR IN THE LOWEST 3000 TO 5000 FT...FEEL ALL THE WILL REACH THE GROUND WILL BE SPRINKLES...POSSIBLY SOME FLURRIES IN THE MOUNTAINS AND WILL ADD THIS TO THIS AFTERNOONS FORECAST. MAY NEED TO CUT BACK A FEW DEGREES ON TEMPS IN THE NORTHWEST DUE TO CLOUDS AND PRECIP EVAPORATING INTO THE ATMOSPHERE WHICH WILL KEEP TEMPS FROM RISING TOO QUICKLY. NO OTHER CHANGES ARE PLANNED AT THIS TIME. && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 17
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 702 AM EST TUE DEC 23 2008 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-241245- BALDWIN-BANKS-BARROW-BARTOW-BIBB-BLECKLEY-BUTTS-CARROLL-CATOOSA- CHATTAHOOCHEE-CHATTOOGA-CHEROKEE-CLARKE-CLAYTON-COBB-COWETA- CRAWFORD-CRISP-DADE-DAWSON-DEKALB-DODGE-DOOLY-DOUGLAS-EMANUEL- FANNIN-FAYETTE-FLOYD-FORSYTH-GILMER-GLASCOCK-GORDON-GREENE- GWINNETT-HALL-HANCOCK-HARALSON-HARRIS-HEARD-HENRY-HOUSTON-JACKSON- JASPER-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-JONES-LAMAR-LAURENS-LUMPKIN-MACON- MADISON-MARION-MERIWETHER-MONROE-MONTGOMERY-MORGAN-MURRAY- MUSCOGEE-NEWTON-NORTH FULTON-OCONEE-OGLETHORPE-PAULDING-PEACH- PICKENS-PIKE-POLK-PULASKI-PUTNAM-ROCKDALE-SCHLEY-SOUTH FULTON- SPALDING-STEWART-SUMTER-TALBOT-TALIAFERRO-TAYLOR-TELFAIR-TOOMBS- TOWNS-TREUTLEN-TROUP-TWIGGS-UNION-UPSON-WALKER-WALTON-WARREN- WASHINGTON-WEBSTER-WHEELER-WHITE-WHITFIELD-WILCOX-WILKES- WILKINSON- 702 AM EST TUE DEC 23 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE SHIFTING EASTWARD OFF THE MID ATLANTIC COAST WILL KEEP A STABLE AIRMASS ACROSS THE AREA AGAIN TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
The Dade County 911 Center reported some sleet and ice accumulation on Georgia Highway 136 and in the Lookout Mountain area. A couple of accidents occurred.
The Walker County 911 Center reported that some sleet was observed in the northern and western parts of the county.
The Whitfield County 911 Center reported that sleet fell off and on during the mid and late morning hours. Brief heavy sleet showers were observed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, December 2008
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: 143869, 143871, 143872.