Heavy Snow in Georgia, March 1 to 2, 2009

Name: Heavy Snow in Georgia, March 1 to 2, 2009
Start: 2009-03-01T16:00
End: 2009-03-02T01:00
Location: Georgia

March 1 to 2, 2009 · NWS GSP · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Rain changed to snow across much of the Piedmont of extreme northeast Georgia during the late afternoon. The snow became heavy at times, particularly along the I-85 corridor.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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: 4

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.

Rain changed to snow across much of the Piedmont of extreme northeast Georgia during the late afternoon. The snow became heavy at times, particularly along the I-85 corridor. By mid-evening, 1-4 inches of accumulation was reported across much of the area. By the time the snow tapered off early on the 2nd, accumulations of 3-6 inches were common across the area. The heavy wet snow, combined with gusty winds caused a few trees and power lines to fall, resulting in scattered power outages. In addition, there were numerous traffic 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 Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 1, 3:06 PM EST, 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 1, 3:06 PM EST, 54 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
306 PM EST SUN MAR 1 2009

.SYNOPSIS...
AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE AWAY FROM THE FORECAST AREA
TONIGHT...AND UP THE EASTERN SEABOARD TOMORROW. BEHIND THIS LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM...AN AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN FROM THE
NORTHWEST ON TUESDAY...BEFORE DRIFTING OFF THE SOUTHEAST COAST BY
LATE WEEK.

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM MONDAY MORNING/...
THKNS/TEMP PROFILES WILL CONTINUE TO COOL AS UPPER LOW APPROACHES
AND AS MOISTURE SURGES N...SNOW IS ALREADY FALLING IN THE MTNS AND
MIXING IN ACROSS THE PIEDMONT. WINTER STORM DEVELOPING MUCH AS
EXPECTED WITH BEST LIKELIHOOD OF HEAVY SNOW STILL ALONG AND S OF
I-85...AND ALONG THE I-77 CORRIDOR THIS EVENING INTO THE EARLY
OVERNIGHT...WHICH IS WHERE THE DEFORMATION ZONE IS EXPECTED TO SET
UP. ALSO OVER THE N AND CNTRL MTNS AND HAVE EXTENDED THE WINTER
STORM WARNING FARTHER W IN THE NC MTNS. HAVE SNOW TOTALS IN THE N
AND CNTRL NC MTNS...PLUS THE PIEDMONT OF E CWA...OF 5-8 INCHES...3-5
INCHES CNTRL AND S ZONES...WITH 1-3 INCHES IN THE FAR W AND NW TIER
AWAY FROM THE BETTER FORCING. SNOW WILL TAPER OFF FROM THE W LATE
TONIGHT AND IS EXPECTED TO END AROUND DAYBREAK IN THE E CWA. GUSTY N
TO NE WINDS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL LATE TONIGHT BEFORE DIMINISHING.
MORNING LOWS WILL DROP INTO THE L-M20S WITH SOME TEENS IN THE MTNS.

&&

.SHORT TERM /6 AM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
AS OF 200 PM SUNDAY...AS THE SNOW PRODUCING UPPER LOW GETS QUICKLY
ABSORBED INTO THE MEAN EASTERN CONUS L/WV...DEEP DRYING WILL
CONTINUE TO OVERSPREAD THE CWFA THROUGHOUT MONDAY. DESPITE
DEVELOPING ABUNDANT SUNSHINE...FRESH SNOW COVER AND THE OVERALL COLD
AIRMASS WILL KEEP TEMPS QUITE CHILLY...SOME 15-20 DEG F BELOW EARLY
MARCH NORMALS. AS SFC RIDGING BUILDS INTO THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT...
GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING CONDS ARE EXPECTED...AND UNDER CLEAR
SKIES...TEMPS EXPECTED TO PLUMMET.

ANOTHER SUNNY DAY ON TAP FOR TUESDAY WITH LIGHT WINDS. IT DOES NOT
LOOK LIKE WE WILL WARM UP VERY MUCH...WITH EVEN THE MILDER MAV MAXES
A COUPLE OF DEGREES BELOW THE GOING CHILLY FCST. THE FLOW WILL START
TO DEAMPLIFY TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY AS RIDGING TRANSLATES TO
THE COAST AND RETURN FLOW DEVELOPS BY 00 UTC WEDNESDAY. ELEVATED
MOISTURE BAND ORIGINATING FROM DEVELOPING FRONTAL ZONE NORTHWEST
OF THE OHIO VALLEY IS FCST TO SPREAD SW INTO THE CWFA TUESDAY
NIGHT...BUT AT THIS POINT...JUST AN INCREASE IN CLOUDS WILL RESULT.
BONIFIED WARMING TREND SHOULD GET UNDERWAY ON WEDNESDAY WITH MAX
TEMPS STARTING TO CLIMB BACK TOWARD NORMAL.

&&

.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/...
THE PATTERN WILL FLATTEN OUT BY THE END OF THE WEAK WITH A LOW
AMPLITUDE DEEP LAYER RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE SE STATES EARLY IN THE
WEEKEND. THIS WILL RESULT IN GRADUALLY MODERATING TEMPERATURES
THROUGH THE PERIOD. A SHORT WAVE WILL MOVE INTO NEW ENGLAND ON
SUNDAY. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL WEAKEN AS IT MOVES INTO THE
RIDGE...BUT SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NC ZONES DURING
THE DAY ON SUNDAY.

&&

.AVIATION /20Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
KCLT AND ELSEWHERE...MVFR...TEMPO IFR WITH GUSTY NE WINDS AS WINTER
STORM TAKES SHAPE. EXPECT SNOW TO MIX WITH RAIN THEN TURN TO ALL
SNOW BY MID-LATE AFTN WITH IFR THEN THRU THE EVE. EXPECT ISOLD TSTMS
AND HAVE CB CLOUDS IN TAFS FOR NOW. WINDS SWING MORE N AS WELL. BEST
FORCING MOVES E AFTER MIDNIGHT AND CIG/VSBY SHOULD IMPROVE TO VFR
OVERNIGHT. N WINDS STAY UP AROUND 10 KTS AROUND DAYBREAK...HIGHER AT
KAVL...WHICH SHOULD KEEP VSBY UP.

OUTLOOK...OUTSIDE OF PSBL FOG TUE MRNG...VFR AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS
IN.

&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 7 AM EST MONDAY FOR GAZ028-029.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST MONDAY FOR GAZ010-017-
     018-026.
NC...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 7 AM EST MONDAY FOR NCZ033-035>037-
     048>050-052-053-056-057-059-063>065-068>072-082-501>510.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST MONDAY FOR NCZ051-058-
     062.
SC...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 7 AM EST MONDAY FOR SCZ003-006>014-
     019.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST MONDAY FOR SCZ001-002-
     004-005.

&&

SYNOPSIS...BSH
NEAR TERM...RB
SHORT TERM...CSH
LONG TERM...MCAVOY
AVIATION...RB

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 1, 2:09 PM EST, 1 hour 51 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
209 PM EST SUN MAR 1 2009

GAZ010-017-018-026-NCZ051-058-062-SCZ001-002-004-005-021915-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-SWAIN-GRAHAM-MACON-
OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-
209 PM EST SUN MAR 1 2009

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST MONDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...WESTERN
NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

GAZ028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>050-052-053-056-057-059-063>065-
068>072-082-501>510-SCZ003-006>014-019-021915-
HART-ELBERT-AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-
HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-NORTHERN JACKSON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-
TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-
UNION NC-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS-
GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL-
RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD-POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-
ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
209 PM EST SUN MAR 1 2009

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST MONDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT
NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER STORM WARNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER STORM WARNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Stephens

When: March 1, 4:00 PM EST to March 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Stephens forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.554, -83.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Franklin

When: March 1, 4:00 PM EST to March 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.375, -83.229 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Hart

When: March 1, 4:00 PM EST to March 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Hart forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.351, -82.964 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Elbert

When: March 1, 4:00 PM EST to March 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Elbert forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.117, -82.840 (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

Every storm in Georgia in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Georgia, March 2009

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: 161401, 161402, 161403, 161404.