S. An associated low pressure system was located along the Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast, moving eastward, with a warm front located across south Georgia and south Alabama.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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.
A strong, negatively tilted upper low was rotating northeast from the southern plains and mid-south region of the U.S. An associated low pressure system was located along the Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast, moving eastward, with a warm front located across south Georgia and south Alabama. Gulf and Pacific moisture were riding over the warm front. Widespread precipitation fell across north and central Georgia from late on the 4th through the 5th. Rainfall amounts of two to four inches were common. A split flow pattern aloft was keeping a cold air mass in place across the eastern U.S., which had prevailed much of the 2009-2010 winter season. While the air mass at this particular time was not abnormally cold for early February, it was sufficiently cold at the onset of the precipitation, especially in the higher elevations of the northeast Georgia mountains, that some freezing rain, sleet, and snow fell for several hours. Accumulations of winter precipitation were generally confined to elevations at or above 2500 feet.
Strong winds were also observed with this intense, large-scale synoptic system. The most significant wind occurred shortly after 1200 am on the 5th when a band of heavy rain showers moved from the southwest to the northeast across north Georgia. Bartow county fared the worst where around 200 trees were blown down in the Rydal area. Pickens county just to the east saw at least 25 downed trees, including one which fell on a house.
Many rivers also went into flood stage across north and central Georgia.
The following are some of the winter weather reports reported to the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia.
Dawson county reported a light accumulation of sleet in the Amicalola Falls area, with no significant problems. This occurred in the higher elevations of the northwest part of the county.
Lumpkin county reported some sleet, but no accumulation.
Towns county reported less than 1/8 inch of ice and snow, but enough to result in numerous accidents across the county.
Union county reported up to two inches of snow at the higher elevations, at or above 3500 feet, near Suches. Portions of Georgia Highway 180 were closed.
White county reported up to 1/4 inch of ice and snow, most at the higher elevations in the north part of the county. Portions of Georgia Highways 17, 75, and 366 were closed in the north part of the county, generally north of Helen. Several accidents occurred and some motorists were stranded in their vehicles.
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 4, 9:35 AM EST, 3 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 935 AM EST THU FEB 4 2010 .UPDATE... ALL UPDATES ARE OUT WITH SOME TWEAKS TO THE FORECAST INCLUDING HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL LATER TONIGHT AND FIRST PART OF FRIDAY. NOW GENERALLY EXPECTING 1.5 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN ACROSS THE AREA INTO FRIDAY EVENING. BDL && .SHORT TERM...PREVIOUS DISCUSSION/TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... STANDARD WINTER EL NINO SCENARIO SETTING UP AGAIN FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW. A SOLID WEDGE WILL BUILD IN FROM THE NORTHEAST WITH PRECIP OVERRUNNING A SURFACE BOUNDARY STRETCHED ACROSS CENTRAL GA. PROBLEM WILL BE DETERMINING RAIN AMOUNTS FOR THE AREA. MODELS START OUT WITH MINOR DISAGREEMENT AND THEN SLOWLY DIVERGE FROM EACH OTHER WITH TIME. SURFACE DEWPOINT INITIALIZATION...FOR EXAMPLE...IS HANDLED BETTER BY THE NAM IN THE WESTERN GULF /GFS IS WETTER/. THIS MAY BE THE KEY TO ADDRESSING THE LARGER PRECIP DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THE MODELS. GFS BRINGS MOISTURE INTO GA MUCH FASTER THAN NAM AND THE ECMWF...BUT THIS FIRST SURGE SHOULD DISSIPATE AS IT HAS TO FALL THROUGH AN EVER-DEEPER COLUMN OF DRY AIR OVER GA. ALTHOUGH GFS HAS A BETTER HANDLE ON THE TIMING OF MOISTURE INFLOW...ITS AMOUNTS ARE OVERDONE COMPARED TO ALL OTHER MODELS. THUS...WILL LEAN MORE TOWARD NAM/ECMWF SOLUTION WHICH KEEPS TOTAL PRECIP BELOW 2" IN CENTRAL AND NORTHERN GA. STILL...SOILS ARE SATURATED ACROSS THE AREA...SO EVEN A GENTLE STEADY RAIN WILL BEGIN TO CAUSE PROBLEMS BY FRIDAY MORNING. WILL ISSUE A FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL BUT THE NORTHERN COUNTIES OF OUR AREA. AT THE PRESENT TIME...DON'T SEE THE DEEP CONVECTION NEEDED TO PUSH THIS OVER TO FLASH FLOOD SITUATION. WITH GRADIENT WINDS ALONG THE SURFACE BOUNDARY PUSHING 20KTS SUSTAINED OVERNIGHT...AND 850 MB WINDS HOVERING AROUND 50KTS...WILL ISSUE A WIND ADVISORY FOR ALL BUT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER COUNTIES. WEDGE AND LIGHT RAIN...DRIZZLE...FOG WILL PERSIST IN THE NORTHEAST CORNER INTO SATURDAY MORNING AS UPPER LOW DOESN'T PUSH THROUGH UNTIL THEN. WILL HAVE TO MENTION A BIT OF A WINTRY MIX IN THE FAR NORTHEAST SATURDAY MORNING AS THICKNESSES SUPPORT SLEET/SNOW/RAIN MIX FOR A BRIEF PERIOD. NO SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED. .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AFTER THIS FIRST SYSTEM LIFTS OUT...STAGE IS SET FOR A REPEAT PERFORMANCE EARLY NEXT WEEK. SIMILAR SCENARIO...IN THAT PROGRESSIVE LOW-LATITUDE PATTERN DEVELOPS A LOW ACROSS THE WESTERN GULF COAST STATES AND THEN SWINGS IT UP ACROSS AL/GA. ECMWF HAS A SIMILAR SOLUTION...BUT WITH A WEAKER...LESS-CLOSED LOW. SHOULD SEE PRECIP RETURN TO THE STATE TUESDAY NIGHT...WITH AMOUNTS SIMILAR TO...OR SLIGHTLY LESS THAN...THE FIRST SYSTEM. STILL NOT ENOUGH INSTABILITY EVIDENT TO CONSIDER THIS ANYTHING MORE THAN ANOTHER RAIN EVENT. .AVIATION... EXPECTING VFR CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING...BEFORE LOWERING INTO THE THE MVFR RANGE GENERALLY AFTER 18Z...THEN TAKING A HARD NOSE DIVE INTO THE IFR RANGE MOST PLACES BY AROUND 00Z. WATCHING RAIN AREA ADVANCE EASTWARD ACROSS ALABAMA...AND SHOULD BEGIN TO SEE SCATTERED LIGHT PRECIP IN THE CSG AREA BY MID MORNING. MAY BE AROUND 18Z BEFORE SEEING MUCH OF A CHANCE ACROSS ATL METRO TAF SITES. THINK BEST CHANCE FOR WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WILL BE AFTER 00Z. NORTHEAST WINDS GENERALLY 10 KTS OR LESS THIS MORNING...BECOMING MORE EASTERLY THIS AFTERNOON WITH SPEEDS INCREASING INTO THE 10 TO 15 KT RANGE. MODELS INDICATING WINDS REALLY PICKUP TONIGHT AS GRADIENT TIGHTENS BETWEEN GULF LOW AND SURFACE HIGH CENTERED ALONG MID ATLANTIC COAST. WILL GENERALLY SHOW SUSTAINED SPEEDS IN THE 12 TO 18 KT RANGE WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KTS POSSIBLE. 49 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 48 37 38 35 55 / 40 100 100 30 10 ATLANTA 47 38 43 37 54 / 70 100 100 30 5 BLAIRSVILLE 43 37 40 33 46 / 30 100 100 40 20 CARTERSVILLE 44 39 45 37 52 / 70 100 100 30 5 COLUMBUS 51 46 55 42 55 / 70 100 100 20 5 GAINESVILLE 44 35 40 34 51 / 40 100 100 30 10 MACON 50 47 52 40 55 / 50 100 100 30 5 ROME 46 42 43 37 52 / 80 100 100 30 10 PEACHTREE CITY 47 42 46 35 54 / 70 100 100 20 5 VIDALIA 54 50 58 44 55 / 40 80 100 40 5 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLOOD WATCH FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BALDWIN...BANKS...BARROW...BIBB...BLECKLEY... BUTTS...CARROLL...CHATTAHOOCHEE...CLARKE...CLAYTON...COBB... COWETA...CRAWFORD...CRISP...DEKALB...DODGE...DOOLY...DOUGLAS... EMANUEL...FAYETTE...FORSYTH...GLASCOCK...GREENE...GWINNETT... HALL...HANCOCK...HARALSON...HARRIS...HEARD...HENRY...HOUSTON... JACKSON...JASPER...JEFFERSON...JOHNSON...JONES...LAMAR... LAURENS...MACON...MADISON...MARION...MERIWETHER...MONROE... MONTGOMERY...MORGAN...MUSCOGEE...NEWTON...NORTH FULTON... OCONEE...OGLETHORPE...PAULDING...PEACH...PIKE...POLK...PULASKI... PUTNAM...ROCKDALE...SCHLEY...SOUTH FULTON...SPALDING...STEWART... SUMTER...TALBOT...TALIAFERRO...TAYLOR...TELFAIR...TOOMBS... TREUTLEN...TROUP...TWIGGS...UPSON...WALTON...WARREN... WASHINGTON...WEBSTER...WHEELER...WILCOX...WILKES...WILKINSON. WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM EST FRIDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BANKS...BARROW...BARTOW...BIBB...BUTTS... CARROLL...CATOOSA...CHATTAHOOCHEE...CHATTOOGA...CHEROKEE... CLARKE...CLAYTON...COBB...COWETA...CRAWFORD...DADE...DAWSON... DEKALB...DOUGLAS...FANNIN...FAYETTE...FLOYD...FORSYTH...GILMER... GORDON...GREENE...GWINNETT...HALL...HARALSON...HARRIS...HEARD... HENRY...JACKSON...JASPER...JONES...LAMAR...LUMPKIN...MACON... MADISON...MARION...MERIWETHER...MONROE...MORGAN...MURRAY... MUSCOGEE...NEWTON...NORTH FULTON...OCONEE...OGLETHORPE... PAULDING...PEACH...PICKENS...PIKE...POLK...PUTNAM...ROCKDALE... SCHLEY...SOUTH FULTON...SPALDING...STEWART...SUMTER...TALBOT... TAYLOR...TOWNS...TROUP...UNION...UPSON...WALKER...WALTON... WEBSTER...WHITE...WHITFIELD. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 456 AM EST THU FEB 4 2010 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-051000- 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- 456 AM EST THU FEB 4 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED TONIGHT. .SYNOPSIS... A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DEVELOPING OVER THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO WILL MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S TODAY AND TONIGHT...AS HIGH PRESSURE BECOMES CENTERED ALONG THE MID ATLANTIC COAST. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN TONIGHT MAY CAUSE MINOR FLOODING ON AREA CREEKS...STREAMS AND RIVERS. STRONG GUSTY WINDS COULD MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. .DISCUSSION... WIDESPREAD RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING NORTHEAST OUT OF THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL BEGIN TO PUSH INTO NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON. AS THE LOW GETS CLOSER TONIGHT...THE RAIN IS EXPECTED TO BECOME HEAVY WITH WIDESPREAD 1 TO 2 INCH TOTALS POSSIBLE BY FRIDAY MORNING. WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO BECOME STRONG AND GUSTY TONIGHT AS THE GRADIENT TIGHTENS BETWEEN THE LOW MOVING OUT OF THE GULF AND HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OFF THE MID ATLANTIC COAST. FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION...SEE THE LATEST FLOOD WATCH AND WIND ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR A WINTRY MIX ACROSS THE NORTHEAST GEORGIA MOUNTAINS FRIDAY NIGHT. OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED FOR THE REST OF THE PERIOD AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED BUT SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT REPORTS OF HEAVY RAINFALL THROUGH THE WEB BY GOING TO WEATHER.GOV/ATLANTA.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 winter weather, 2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Dawson County 911 Center reported a minor accumulation of sleet in the Amicalola Falls are of northern Dawson county.
The public reported two inches of snow at 3500 feet along Georgia Highway 180 near Suches. The Union County Emergency Management Director reported that portions of Georgia Highway 180 were closed.
The White County Emergency Management Director reported from 1/4 to 1/8 inch of sleet, ice, and snow across the northern part of the county. Numerous accidents were reported and several motorists were stranded in their vehicles. Georgia Highways 17, 75, and 366, mostly north of Helen, were closed.
The Lumpkin County 911 Center reported a light dusting of sleet in the higher elevations. No significant problems were noted.
The Towns County 911 Center reported a minor accumulation of sleet, ice, and snow on roadways. A number of accidents were reported.
The Bartow County 911 Center reported that from 150 to 250 trees were blown down from the combination of strong winds and heavy rain during the early morning hours. Much of the damage occurred in the East Valley Road and Maple Lane area. More than 2400 residents of the county were left without power for 24 hours or more.
The Pickens County 911 Center reported that strong winds, associated with a band of heavy rain showers, blew down at least 25 trees across the county. One tree fell on a home on Grandview Road, but no significant damage was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, February 2010
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: 216437, 216436, 216434, 216438, 216435, 218170, 216439.