Georgia, 2008

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Georgia, January 19, 2008

January 19, 2008 · NWS FFC · 29 events in 29 counties and zones

A surface low pressure area was moving northeast through the eastern Gulf. A deep upper trough dominated the eastern United States.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 29 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
29

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.

A surface low pressure area was moving northeast through the eastern Gulf. A deep upper trough dominated the eastern United States. An arctic front was moving southeast from the Ohio Valley and western Tennessee Valley. As the surface low pressure area tracked toward the northeast Gulf in advance of the Arctic front, moisture spread over a cold air mass resulting in snow across north Georgia and rain across central Georgia. Most of the measurable snow fell within a narrow approximately 50 mile wide area from LaGrange in west central Georgia to near Gainesville in northeast Georgia. Snowfall amounts were mostly around one inch, with a few 1.50 to 2.00 inch amounts observed across the northern suburbs of Atlanta.

Snowfall amounts of 0.50 inch or greater by county were Carroll - 1.00, Cherokee - 1.50, Clayton - 1.00, Cobb - 1.00, Coweta - 1.00, Dawson - 0.50, DeKalb - 1.00, Douglas - 1.25, Fayette - 1.00, Forsyth - 2.00, Fulton - 1.75, Gwinnett - 0.50, Hall - 0.50, Harris - 1.00, Heard - 0.50, Henry - 1.25, Lumpkin - 0.50, Meriwether - 1.00, Newton - 0.50, Oconee - 0.50, Paulding - 1.00, Pike - 1.00, Polk - 1.00, Rockdale - 1.00, Spalding - 1.00, Troup - 1.00, Union - 0.50, White - 1.50. Several other surrounding counties reported a trace of snow, and several counties also had a trace of ice pellets or sleet as well.

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 Jan 19, 5:30 AM EST, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 19, 5:30 AM EST, 5 hours 30 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 19, 6:42 AM EST, 4 hours 18 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

28 winter weather, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Carroll

When
January 19, 11:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where
Carroll forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.583, -85.080 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A surface low pressure area was moving northeast through the eastern Gulf. A deep upper trough dominated the eastern United States. An arctic front was moving southeast from the Ohio Valley and western Tennessee Valley. As the surface low pressure area tracked toward the northeast Gulf in advance of the Arctic front, moisture spread over a cold air mass resulting in snow across north Georgia and rain across central Georgia. Most of the measurable snow fell within a narrow approximately 50 mile wide area from LaGrange in west central Georgia to near Gainesville in northeast Georgia. Snowfall amounts were mostly around one inch, with a few 1.50 to 2.00 inch amounts observed across the northern suburbs of Atlanta.

Snowfall amounts of 0.50 inch or greater by county were Carroll - 1.00, Cherokee - 1.50, Clayton - 1.00, Cobb - 1.00, Coweta - 1.00, Dawson - 0.50, DeKalb - 1.00, Douglas - 1.25, Fayette - 1.00, Forsyth - 2.00, Fulton - 1.75, Gwinnett - 0.50, Hall - 0.50, Harris - 1.00, Heard - 0.50, Henry - 1.25, Lumpkin - 0.50, Meriwether - 1.00, Newton - 0.50, Oconee - 0.50, Paulding - 1.00, Pike - 1.00, Polk - 1.00, Rockdale - 1.00, Spalding - 1.00, Troup - 1.00, Union - 0.50, White - 1.50. Several other surrounding counties reported a trace of snow, and several counties also had a trace of ice pellets or sleet as well.

Winter Weather, Cherokee

When
January 19, 11:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where
Cherokee forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
34.244, -84.476 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 1.50 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Coweta

When
January 19, 11:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where
Coweta forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.354, -84.763 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 1.00 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Douglas

When
January 19, 11:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where
Douglas forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.702, -84.768 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 1.25 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Polk

When
January 19, 11:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where
Polk forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
34.002, -85.188 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 1.00 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Cobb

When
January 19, 11:30 AM EST to 5:30 PM EST
Where
Cobb forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.942, -84.577 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 1.00 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Heard

When
January 19, 11:30 AM EST to 5:30 PM EST
Where
Heard forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.297, -85.128 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 0.50 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Clayton

When
January 19, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Clayton forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.542, -84.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 1.00 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Dawson

When
January 19, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Dawson forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
34.444, -84.171 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 0.50 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, De Kalb

When
January 19, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
De Kalb forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.772, -84.226 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 1.00 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Fayette

When
January 19, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Fayette forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
33.414, -84.494 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 0.50 to 1.00 inch was observed around the county.

Heavy Snow, Forsyth

When
January 19, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Forsyth forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
34.226, -84.125 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of up to 2.00 inches was observed in parts of the county.

Winter Weather, North Fulton

When
January 19, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
North Fulton forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.790, -84.467 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 1.50 inches was observed in the Alpharetta area.

Winter Weather, South Fulton

When
January 19, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
South Fulton forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
33.790, -84.467 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 1.00 inch was observed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Winter Weather, Harris

When
January 19, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Harris forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
32.736, -84.909 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 1.00 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Henry

When
January 19, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Henry forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.453, -84.154 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 1.25 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Meriwether

When
January 19, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Meriwether forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
33.041, -84.688 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 1.0 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Paulding

When
January 19, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Paulding forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.921, -84.867 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 1.00 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Troup

When
January 19, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Troup forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.034, -85.028 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 1.00 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Gwinnett

When
January 19, 12:30 PM EST to 6:30 PM EST
Where
Gwinnett forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.962, -84.024 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 0.50 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Hall

When
January 19, 12:30 PM EST to 6:30 PM EST
Where
Hall forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
34.317, -83.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 0.50 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Pike

When
January 19, 12:30 PM EST to 6:30 PM EST
Where
Pike forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.092, -84.389 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 1.00 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Spalding

When
January 19, 12:30 PM EST to 6:30 PM EST
Where
Spalding forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.261, -84.284 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 1.00 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Lumpkin

When
January 19, 1:00 PM EST to 6:30 PM EST
Where
Lumpkin forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
34.572, -84.003 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 0.50 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Newton

When
January 19, 1:00 PM EST to 6:30 PM EST
Where
Newton forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
33.555, -83.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 0.50 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Oconee

When
January 19, 1:00 PM EST to 6:30 PM EST
Where
Oconee forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.835, -83.437 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 0.50 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Rockdale

When
January 19, 1:00 PM EST to 6:30 PM EST
Where
Rockdale forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
33.654, -84.027 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 1.00 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, Union

When
January 19, 1:00 PM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Union forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
34.834, -83.991 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 0.75 inch was observed.

Winter Weather, White

When
January 19, 1:00 PM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
White forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
34.646, -83.747 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall up to 1.50 inch was observed in the mountainous areas with less than 1.00 inch in the lower elevations in the southern part of the county.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
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 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, January 2008

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 74956, 74957, 74960, 74963, 74990, 74959, 74982, 74958, 74961, 74962, 74969, 74970, 74975, 74978, 74981, 74983, 74985, 74988, 74993, 74979, 74980, 74989, 74992, 74984, 74986, 74987, 74991, 74994, 74995.