Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Georgia, January 29 to 30, 2010

Name: Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Georgia, January 29 to 30, 2010
Start: 2010-01-29T18:00
End: 2010-01-30T12:00
Location: Georgia

January 29 to 30, 2010 · NWS GSP · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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: 6

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.

Low pressure tracked across southern Georgia during the night of the 29th, and then off the southeast cost on the 30th. Precipitation began as light snow early in the evening across the Georgia mountains. By late evening, snow had mostly changed to sleet, except in areas along the North Carolina border. By the pre-dawn hours, total accumulations ranged from less than an inch in southern Habersham County, to as much as 4 inches of snow along the North Carolina border.

Farther to the south, a mixture of rain, snow, and sleet developed over the foothills and piedmont of northeast Georgia during the evening, and continued off and on through the overnight, before changing to light rain or freezing rain during the morning of the 30th. Only trace amounts of snow and sleet fell in these areas.

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 Jan 29, 2:58 PM EST, 3 hours 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 29, 2:58 PM EST, 3 hours 2 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
258 PM EST FRI JAN 29 2010

.SYNOPSIS...
A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE DEEP SOUTH THROUGH
SATURDAY MORNING...SPREADING MOISTURE ACROSS GEORGIA AND THE
CAROLINAS. THE LOW WILL MOVE OFF THE EAST COAST BY LATE SATURDAY
WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN ACROSS THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE
COUNTRY ON SUNDAY. THIS HIGH WILL REMAIN IN PLACE ON MONDAY BEFORE
WEAKENING AND MOVING OFF TO THE NORTH THROUGH MID WEEK.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/...
PRECIP SHOULD CONTINUE TO QUICKLY SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA THIS
EVENING AS DEEP MOISTURE AND STRONG LIFT MOVE INTO THE AREA.
EXPECT ANY RAIN CHANGING TO SNOW MOST LOCATIONS ALONG AND NORTH OF
I-85...WITH RAIN POSSIBLY MIXED WITH SNOW SOUTH. WARM NOSE BEGINS
TO WORK IN FROM THE SOUTH AFTER MIDNIGHT...BUT THIS IS WHEN THE
BEST FORCING AND QPF DEVELOP. EXPECT SLEET TO MIX IN OR CHANGE
OVER COMPLETELY FROM SOUTH TO NORTH AND ACROSS THE SWRN MTNS. AS
WARM NOSE CONTINUES IT NORTHWARD TREK... PRECIP CHANGES TO A
FREEZING RAIN/RAIN/SLEET MIX ACROSS SC AND WEST OF THE FRENCH
BROAD VALLEY. EXPECT MAINLY SNOW WITH SLEET MIXING IN FROM I-40 TO
THE SRN PIEDMONT AND FRENCH BROAD VALLEY. THE HIGHEST ACCUMS WILL
BE TONIGHT WITH THE BEST FORCING AND QPF.

PRECIP ONLY SLOWLY TAPERS OFF THRU THE DAY SATURDAY AS THE WARM
CONVEYOR BELT MOVES EAST OF THE AREA. THE WARM NOSE CONTINUES TO
MOVE SLOWLY NORTH CHANGING PRECIP TO FREEZING RAIN/SLEET OR FREEZING
RAIN/RAIN SOUTH AND MOST OF NC MTNS TO SNOW/SLEET NORTH. ADDITIONAL
SNOW ACCUMS WILL MAINLY BE LIMITED TO I-40 AND THE NRN MTNS. ICE
ACCRETION THOUGH WILL DEVELOP OVER THE SRN AREAS. AS THE MID LEVELS
DRY OUT DURING THE AFTERNOON...WE LOSE THE ICE NUCLEATION.
HOWEVER...PRECIP WILL CONTINUE AS LOW LEVELS REMAIN VERY MOIST AND
UPSLOPE FLOW DEVELOPS. THIS CHANGES THE CHARACTER TO FREEZING RAIN
AND DRIZZLE. ONLY LIGHT ADDITIONAL ACCRETIONS ARE EXPECTED. EXPECT
STORM TOTALS TO RANGE FROM 12 INCHES OVER THE NRN MTNS...TO 10
INCHES OVER I-40. 6 TO 10 OVER THE FRENCH BROAD VALLEY. 2 TO 8 WITH
CLOSE TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH OF ICE OVER THE SWRN MTNS. 6 TO 8
INCHES NORTH OF I-85. 2-4 INCHES WITH SLEET MIXED IN AND CLOSE TO A
QUARTER INCH OF ICE ALONG I-85. GENERALLY AN INCH OF SNOW OR SLEET
WITH A TENTH OF AN INCH OF ICE SOUTH OF I-85. A VERY COLD DAY AS
TEMPS FALL INTO THE 20S THRU THE DAY.

&&

.SHORT TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 230 PM FRIDAY...A PERIOD OF LIGHT WRAP-AROUND PCPN WILL LINGER
THRU SATURDAY EVENING UNTIL UPPER TROUGH PASSAGE. SCATTERED AREAS OF
LIGHT SNOW/LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL GIVE WAY TO DIMINISHING CLOUDS
OVERNIGHT AS SUNDAY MORNING MIN TEMPS FALL TO 10-15 DEG F BELOW
CLIMO...THE TANKING OF TEMPS AIDED BY FRESH SNOWCOVER ACRS ANY
LOCALES. RIDGING AND DEEP LAYERED DRY IS STILL PROGGED TO OVERSPREAD
THE REGION ON SUNDAY...BUT DESPITE FULL SUNSHINE...STILL EXPECT MAX
TEMPS TO RANGE FROM 10-15 DEG F BELOW CLIMO.

GREAT RADIATIONAL COOLING CONDS ON TAP FOR SUNDAY NIGHT AS MIN TEMPS
TANK INTO THE FRIGID RANGE...PERHAPS AS MUCH AS 20 DEG F BELOW
NORMAL. SUNSHINE EXPECTED TO BECOME FILTER WITH HIGHER LEVEL CLOUDS
ON MONDAY AS WEAK LLVL RETURN FLOW COMMENCES. FOR MAX TEMPS...
EXPECTING ABOUT A CATEGORY OR TWO RISE FROM SUNDAY/S READINGS.

&&

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
AS OF 240 PM FRIDAY...GENERALLY ZONAL FLOW ALOFT IS EXPECTED AT THE
OUTSET OF THE MEDIUM RANGE WITH THE NEXT SOUTHERN STREAM WAVE
EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE AREA IN THE THU/FRI TIMEFRAME. PRECIP
ASSOCIATED WITH A MINOR SHORT WAVE ZIPPING BY TO THE SOUTH ON TUE IS
EXPECTED TO REMAIN JUST SOUTH OF THE AREA. I DID NUDGED SOME SLIGHT
CHANCE POPS INTO NE GA AND THE UPSTATE IN DEFERENCE FOR THIS SYSTEM.
OTHERWISE..SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE TO THE N WILL DOMINATE THE WEATHER
TUE THROUGH WED NIGHT PRODUCING MOSTLY CLEAR AND DRY CONDITIONS.
THE HIGH WILL MOVE OFF THE COAST ON THU ALLOWING FLOW TO VEER IN THE
LOWER LEVELS WHICH WILL PRODUCE SOME ISENTROPIC LIFT. HAVE INDICATED
CHANCE POPS ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA ON THU AS UPGLIDE INCREASES. AS
SOUTHERN STREAM WAVE APPROACHES PRECIP CHANCES WILL CONTINUE THU
NIGHT AND FRI. MODEL THERMAL PARAMETERS INDICATE THAT THIS LATE WEEK
WEATHER EVENT SHOULD BE MAINLY LIQUID. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO
BE JUST BELOW SEASONAL LEVELS THROUGH THE WEEK. USED HPC GUIDANCE TO
POPULATE MOST FIELDS WITH SOME ADJUSTMENTS FOR COLLABORATION
PURPOSES.

&&

.AVIATION /20Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
AT KCLT...VFR CONDITIONS AT THE MOMENT...BUT EXPECT
CONDITIONS TO DETERIORATE RAPIDLY LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING AS
PRECIP MOVES W TO E INTO THE REGION. LOOKS LIKE PRECIP WILL BEGIN AS
A RN/SN MIXTURE AROUND 00Z AND THEN TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW BY 03Z
WITH CONDITIONS LOWERING TO MVFR AND THEN LIFR BY 05Z AS SNOW
BECOMES HEAVY. IP WILL MIX IN WITH THE SNOW LATE TONIGHT AND THEN PRECIP
WILL TRANSITION TO FZRA/IP AROUND 12Z AS WARM NOSE ALOFT DEVELOPS.
EXPECT VSBYS TO IMPROVE FROM LIFR TO MVFR IN THE 09Z-12Z TIME
FRAME AS PRECIP TYPE BECOMES PREDOMINATELY IP AND FZRA. CIGS TO
REMAIN LIFR/IFR.

ELSEWHERE...
KGSP/KGMU...SIMILAR SCENARIO TO KCLT ONLY PRECIP BEGINNING AROUND
21Z AND ENDING AROUND 16Z SAT.
KAVL/KHKY...PRECIP WILL BEGIN AS SNOW LATE THIS AFTERNOON/EARLY
EVE...BECOMING HEAVY WITH CONDITIONS LOWERING TO LIFR... WITH IP
MIXING IN AFTER 12Z THERE. VSBYS TO IMPROVE TO MVFR AFTER 12Z.
KAND...PRECIP TO BEGIN AS -RN AROUND 20Z TRANSITIONING TO A RN/SN BY
00Z WITH PROBABLY A PERIOD OF ALL SNOW BETWEEN 00Z-06Z...THEN IP
MIXING IN AROUND 06Z AND FZRA/IP BY 09Z. PRECIP TO END BY 16Z. VFR
CONDITIONS LOWERING TO LIFR OVERNIGHT AND THEN SLOWLY IMPROVING TO MVFR
NY 16Z.

OUTLOOK...CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE TO VFR SAT NIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE
BUILDS OVER THE REGION. EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS TO HOLD THROUGH TUE.

&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EST SATURDAY FOR GAZ010-017.
     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM EST
     SATURDAY FOR GAZ018-026-028-029.
NC...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EST SATURDAY FOR NCZ033-035-
     048>053-058-059-062>065-501>510.
     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM EST
     SATURDAY FOR NCZ036-037-056-057-068>072-082.
SC...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EST SATURDAY FOR SCZ001>003.
     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM EST
     SATURDAY FOR SCZ004>014-019.

&&

SYNOPSIS...BSH
NEAR TERM...RWH
SHORT TERM...CSH
LONG TERM...LG
AVIATION...LG

Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 29, 5:44 AM EST, 12 hours 16 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
544 AM EST FRI JAN 29 2010

GAZ018-026-028-029-NCZ036-037-056-057-068>072-082-SCZ004>014-019-
301100-
STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-CLEVELAND-
LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-GREATER OCONEE-
GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-
ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
544 AM EST FRI JAN 29 2010

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM EST
SATURDAY...

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY 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...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

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...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS
TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

GAZ010-017-NCZ033-035-048>053-058-059-062>065-501>510-SCZ001>003-
301100-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-AVERY-ALEXANDER-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-
HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-
TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL-
BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL-
RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD-POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK-
OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-
544 AM EST FRI JAN 29 2010

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM EST
SATURDAY...

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY 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...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

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...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS
TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

07

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 winter weather, 2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Rabun

When: January 29, 6:00 PM EST to January 30, 10:00 AM EST
Where: Rabun forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.882, -83.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Habersham

When: January 29, 6:00 PM EST to January 30, 10:00 AM EST
Where: Habersham forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.631, -83.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Stephens

When: January 29, 6:00 PM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Stephens forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.554, -83.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Franklin

When: January 29, 6:00 PM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.375, -83.229 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Hart

When: January 29, 6:00 PM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Hart forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.351, -82.964 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Elbert

When: January 29, 6:00 PM EST to January 30, 12:00 PM 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

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
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 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in Georgia, January 2010

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: 213319, 213320, 213322, 213323, 213324, 213325.