A persistent Arctic air mass remained in place across the eastern half of the United States. A new mass of Arctic air was rapidly spreading south and east from the central Plains behind a cold front located moving southeast from the Arkalatex region.
Every event with a place to put it; 37 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 persistent Arctic air mass remained in place across the eastern half of the United States. A new mass of Arctic air was rapidly spreading south and east from the central Plains behind a cold front located moving southeast from the Arkalatex region. A deep upper low was digging southeastward from the Midwest. Although moisture was limited because of the cold Arctic air mass already in place ahead of the front, upper support provided ample support for a brief period of light snow and some light sleet to spread across the north Georgia area during the afternoon and evening hours of January 7th. Because temperatures had been at or below freezing much of the previous seven days and temperatures at the time of the onset of the precipitation were near freezing, ice and snow quickly accumulated on roads and ground surfaces. Accumulations of snow were mostly in the one inch range northwest of Interstate-85, with some two to three inch accumulations in the north Georgia mountains. Some sleet was mixed in at the onset of the precipitation. Areas southeast of Interstate-85 saw mostly 1/2 inch accumulations of snow, with just a trace of snow or sleet in central Georgia counties. With a fresh Arctic air mass surging into the area January 8th - 9th, the ice and snow remained on the ground for several days. The cold antecedent conditions resulted in an extended period of ice and snow covered roads in many north Georgia counties, despite the overall rather light accumulations of winter precipitation.
The following is a list of average snowfall reports received from north and central Georgia counties between 4 pm EST on January 7th and midnight EST on January 7th.
Banks county received 0.5 inch.|Barrow county received 0.5 inch. Five accidents caused by ice/snow covered roads were reported across the county.|Bartow county received 0.75 to 1.0 inch. Less than 1.0 inch of snow south to 2.0 inches north. Many roads ice and snow covered. At least one road in the county closed.|Butts county received a trace.|Carroll county received up to 0.5 inch of snow. At least 29 accidents were reported across the county. At least five roads were closed. Greater accumulation of snow was west of U.S. Highway 27.|Catoosa county received 0.5 inch.|Chattooga county received 1.0 to 1.5 inches.|Cherokee county received 0.5 inch south to 1.0 inch north. More than 200 vehicle accidents accounting for 12 injuries and one fatality occurred. A 50-year old male died when his vehicle slid off an icy road.|Clayton county received 0.5 inch.|Cobb county received 0.5 inch.|Coweta county received 0.5 inch.|Dade county received 0.5 to 1 inch.|Dawson county received approximately 0.5 to 1.0 inch of snow. Thirty-two accidents were reported across the county, including three involving injuries.|DeKalb county received 0.5 inch. More than 250 accidents were observed across the county.|Douglas county received 0.5 inch.|Fayette county received 0.5 inch.|Fannin county received 1.0 to 2.0 inches.|Floyd county received 0.5 inch. Numerous accidents reported across the county.|Forsyth county received 0.5 inch. Some secondary roads closed near Lake Lanier. Across the county, 160 accidents were reported on snow and ice covered roads. There were seven injuries reported from these traffic accidents, including a serious injury of an 11-year old boy.|North Fulton county received 1.0 inch.|South Fulton county received 0.5 inch.|Gilmer county received 2.0 to 3.0 inches across the county. Most roads were ice covered and hazardous. Eighty accidents were reported across the county. Ten people suffered minor injuries in these accidents. Two roads were closed.|Gordon county received 0.5 inch west part to 1.0 inch east part. Most roads were snow or ice packed and hazardous. Several accidents were reported. Three people suffered minor injuries.|Gwinnett county received 0.5 inch. Patchy ice covered roads resulting in stranded motorists and several accidents. Some minor injuries were reported in these accidents.|Hall county received 1.0 to 1.25 inch.|Haralson county received 0.5 inch. At least 44 traffic accidents were reported across the county.|Jackson county received 0.5 inch.|Lumpkin county received 1.0 to 2.0 inches. Roads were solid ice in many parts of the county. A 33-year old male died when his vehicle slid off the road and down an embankment. Several motorists were stranded in their vehicles.|Meriwether county received a trace of snow/sleet.|Murray county received 0.5 to 1.0 inch of snow and some sleet.|Paulding county received 0.6 inch.|Pickens county received 1.0 inch. Secondary roads were ice covered and a number of accidents.|Polk county received 1.0 inch.|Spalding county received 0.25 inch.|Towns county received 2.0 inches in the western part to 3.0 inches in the eastern part of the county.|Union county received 0.5 to 1.2 inch. Forty-two accidents were reported across the county. Georgia Highway 348 and several secondary roads were impassable and closed.|Walton county received 0.5 inch.|Walker county received 0.5 to 1.0 inch.|White county received 0.5 inch. Georgia Highway 348 was closed because of ice. At least eight accidents were reported across the county. No injuries were reported from this county.|Whitfield county received 0.5 to 1.0 inch of snow and some sleet. There were 247 accidents reported across the county. Portions of Interstate-75 were closed during rush hour. Roads remained icy for several days.
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 6, 5:30 PM EST, 18 hours 30 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
37 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
The Dade County 911 Center reported up to 1.0 inch of snow across the county.
The Chattooga County 911 Center reported from 1.0 to 1.5 inches of snow across the county.
The Walker County 911 Center reported from 0.5 to 1.0 inch of snow across the county.
The Bartow County 911 Center reported nearly two inches of snow in the north part of the county to less than one inch in the south part. Many roads were snow covered and hazardous. At least one county road was closed.
The Catoosa County 911 Center reported up to 0.5 inch of snow across parts of the county.
The Floyd County 911 Center reported up to 0.5 inch of snow across the county. Numerous traffic accidents were observed across the county.
The Gordon County 911 Center reported from 0.5 inch of snow in the western part of the county to 1.0 inch in the eastern part of the county. Most roads were snow covered and hazardous. Several traffic accidents were observed, with three individuals suffering minor injuries as a result.
The Haralson County 911 Center reported up to 0.5 inch of snow across much of the county. At least 44 traffic accidents were reported across the county as a result of the snow covered roads.
The Murray County 911 Center reported 0.5 to 1,.0 inch of snow and some sleet across much of the county.
The Polk County 911 Center reported up to 1.0 inch of snow across the county.
The Whitfield County 911 Center reported 0.5 to 1.0 inch of snow and some sleet. There were 247 accidents reported across the county. Portions of Interstate-75 were closed during rush hour. Roads remained icy for several days.
The Cherokee County Emergency Management Director reported from 0.5 inch of snow south to 1.0 inch of snow north. More than 200 vehicle accidents were observed on the snow covered roads. The accidents resulted in one death and 12 injuries. The fatal accident occurred on Priest Road at North Hold Road in Acworth. A 50-year old male's vehicle slid off the road and into a tree. The individual was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Fannin County 911 Center reported from 1.0 to 2.0 inches of snow across the county.
The Gilmer County 911 Center reported from 2.0 to 3.0 inches of snow across the county. Most roads were snow covered and hazardous. Eighty traffic accidents were observed across the county. Ten individuals suffered minor injuries during these accidents.
The Lumpkin County 911 Center reported from 1.0 to 2.0 inches of snow across the county. Roads were snow covered and hazardous throughout the county. Several motorists were stranded in their vehicles and several accidents were reported. A 33-year old male slid of Siloam Church Road into the side of a truck and then down an embankment. The individual was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Paulding County 911 Center reported up to 0.6 inch of snow across much of the county.
The Douglas County 911 Center reported up to 0.5 inch of snow across the county.
The Carroll County 911 Center reported up to 0.5 inch of snow across the county. At least 29 accidents were observed across the county as a result of the snow covered roads. Five roads were closed. The greatest accumulation of snow was in the western part of the county.
The Clayton County 911 Center reported up to 0.5 inch of snow across the county.
The Cobb County 911 Center reported up to 0.5 inch of snow across the county.
The Fulton County 911 Center reported up to 1.0 inch of snow in the north part of the county.
The Fulton County 911 Center reported up to 0.5 inch of snow across the south part of the county.
The Gwinnett County 911 Center reported that much of the county received up to 0.5 inch of snow. Most roads were snow covered and hazardous. Several vehicle accidents were reported resulting in at least a couple minor injuries.
The Hall County 911 Center reported from 1.0 to 1.25 inches of snow across the county, with the heaviest accumulation in the northern part.
The Towns County 911 Center reported snowfall ranging from 2.0 inches in the western part of the county to 3.0 inches in the eastern part of the county.
The Union County 911 Center reported from 0.5 to 1.2 inch of snow across the county. Forty-two accidents were reported across the county. Georgia Highway 348 and several secondary roads were impassable and closed.
The Barrow County 911 Center reported 0.5 inch of snow. At least five accidents were reported across the county as a result of snow covered roads.
The Coweta County 911 Center reported up to 0.5 inch of snow across the county.
The Fayette County 911 Center reported up to 0.5 inch of snow across the county.
The Forsyth County 911 Center reported up to 0.5 inch of snow across the county. A total of 160 traffic accidents were observed across the county. Some secondary roads were closed near Lake Lanier. Seven injuries occurred as a result of these accidents. The most serious accident involved an 11-year old boy who was hospitalized after the vehicle in which he was riding slid off the road and into a ditch.
The Jackson County 911 Center reported up to 0.5 inch of snow across much of the county.
The Spalding County 911 Center reported about 1/4 inch of snow accumulation across much of the county.
The Walton County 911 Center reported approximately 0.5 inch of snow across much of the county.
The White County 911 Center reported an average of 0.5 inch of snow across much of the county. Georgia Highway 348, Richard B. Russell Highway was closed. At least eight traffic accidents were reported across the county because of the snow covered roads. However, no injuries were reported from this county.
The Dawson Community News reported that 1/2 to 1.0 inch of snow across the county resulted in 32 accidents, including three injuries.
The Banks County 911 Center reported 0.5 inch of snow.
The DeKalb County 911 Center reported up to 0.5 inch of snow across the county. The snow covered roads contributed to more than 250 traffic accidents across the county.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather, Cherokee | 2010-01-07 | 50 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
| Winter Weather, Lumpkin | 2010-01-07 | 33 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
| Winter Weather, Forsyth | 2010-01-07 | 11 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
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, January 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 211804, 211809, 211970, 211803, 211807, 211817, 211822, 211825, 211828, 211950, 211973, 211810, 211816, 211821, 211827, 211830, 211806, 211808, 211812, 211813, 211819, 211820, 211823, 211824, 211966, 211967, 211801, 211814, 211815, 211818, 211826, 211964, 211969, 211972, 216449, 211799, 211805.