An upper-level low and associated surface low moved across north Georgia during the afternoon of the 7th through the morning of the 8th bringing snow to the northeast Georgia mountains.
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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.
An upper-level low and associated surface low moved across north Georgia during the afternoon of the 7th through the morning of the 8th bringing snow to the northeast Georgia mountains.
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 7, 12:47 PM EST, 13 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 1247 PM EST Thu Jan 7 2021 ...18Z Aviation Discussion... .PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 530 AM EST Thu Jan 7 2021/ SHORT TERM /Today through Friday/... As the short term period begins, a transition in the pattern will be underway as the axis of the upper level ridge over much of the southeastern CONUS has crossed the forecast area and is continuing to push eastward. Southwesterly flow aloft and easterly flow at the surface on the western side of the ridge and associated surface high is allowing for gradual moisture return, which will continue through through the day today. Meanwhile, an upper-level cutoff low near the ArkLaTex region is moving northeastward into the Mississippi Valley and will continue its trek towards north and central Georgia through the day today. An important thing to note with this system is that the associated surface low is occluded, and the warm front will be displaced to the south and east of the low pressure center and is not expected to advance further north than the Florida Panhandle as the system approaches the area. Warm and moist air from the Gulf of Mexico will nonetheless advect over the warm front, but will overrun cold air underneath due to the occlusion. High resolution guidance remains consistent in bringing an initial wave of showers during the early afternoon hours and spread precipitation north and east as the low continues to approach Georgia. Categorical PoPs are forecast over north and central Georgia by late afternoon and continuing into the overnight hours. While precipitation will be widespread, precipitable water values are expected to range from 0.5-1.0" across the forecast area, so heavy rainfall is not anticipated. With cool air at the surface and overcast skies developing and lowering during the daytime today, high temperatures will struggle to get out of the 40s in north Georgia. Highs in the 50s to low 60s are possible in central Georgia. As a result, very little to instability will be present ahead of this system, so chances for thunderstorms will be minimal today and into Friday. A transition to a rain/snow mix is expected by the early evening hours in the higher elevations of far northeast Georgia. During the evening hours Thursday and into the early morning hours on Friday (primarily between 00Z-06Z), model sounding profiles indicate a growing warm nose as the warm air advection aloft spreads northward over the warm front. With surface temperatures cooling at this time and the warm nose deepening, the possibility remains for short periods of freezing rain at the highest elevations - generally at 1500 ft or higher. Any ice accumulations that occur at this time are expected to be limited to about 0.1" or less. After 06Z, the center of the surface low is expected to enter central Georgia, with cooler mid-level temperatures and lower thicknesses to the north of the low across north Georgia. As this occurs and temperatures continue to decrease, a more widespread transition to wintry precipitation will begin across much of the far northern tier. Forecast low temperatures during the early morning hours on Friday will be below freezing at the higher elevations - primarily above 1500 ft - and above freezing at the lower elevations. As such, snow showers are most likely at 1500 ft or higher and the highest snowfall accumulations are expected here as well. While snowfall amounts of less than 0.5" is forecast in the lower elevations across the far northern tier, total snow accumulations of 2-4 inches with isolated higher amounts are possible in the higher elevations. The system will quickly move northeastward towards the Atlantic coast during the daytime on Friday, with precipitation coming to an end from southwest to northeast. However, with temperatures remaining in the mid-30s across the higher elevations and the potential for light precipitation to wrap around the back side of the system, some snow showers and a rain/snow mix could remain across portions of far northeast Georgia into the early afternoon hours on Friday. As a result of the higher snowfall totals and potential ice accumulation, a Winter Storm Warning has been issued across the far northeastern portion of the forecast area from 00Z this evening until 00Z Friday evening. Subfreezing temperatures following the storm on Friday night could furthermore cause slippery road conditions into the weekend. King LONG TERM /Friday Night through Wednesday/... While most of the impactful weather to speak of is in the short term, the next main focus is on Monday/Tuesday with another amplifying upper disturbance and developing attendant sfc low progged to have an abnormally southern track. Overall upper dynamical strength and timing has reached better consensus in the long term guidance, though the thermal profiles and organization in the lower levels still have quite the discrepancy (GFS with colder advection farther southward than the Euro). Have maintained little change to previous advertising and seeing a possible rain to snow shower transition across north GA. Overall QPF does look pretty light for the time being but will need to keep an eye on trends if the low level temps come into better agreement to hone in on expected p-type. Baker && .AVIATION... 18Z Update... A low pressure system will be sweeping through the forecast area, bringing deteriorating conditions over the next 24 hours. An -SHRA shield is beginning to move in from the SW, and will stick around CSG/MCN until around 6-9Z, and northern sites until 9-12Z with some lingering --SHRA/DZ afterwards. VSBYs could drop to 4-6SM during rainfall. CIGs also expected to gradually fall during this period but timing is uncertain. ATL fcst CIGS start VFR, MVFR around 21Z, IFR around 00Z, with possible SCT LIFR after 03Z with gradual improvement after 18Z. Winds will start E around 12G20kts, and shift NE by 06Z, N by 12Z, and finally NW by 18Z, with rough timing. Northern sites also have SLGT CHC for RA/SN mix b/w 10-16Z, but likely to be further north. //ATL Confidence...18Z Update... Low on lowered CIG timing and VSBYs. Medium on all other elements. Thiem && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Athens 50 36 44 32 / 70 90 50 10 Atlanta 49 37 44 32 / 90 90 30 10 Blairsville 44 33 40 28 / 60 90 60 10 Cartersville 49 35 44 29 / 80 90 40 10 Columbus 52 42 49 33 / 80 80 10 5 Gainesville 47 35 43 32 / 70 90 50 10 Macon 55 41 49 33 / 90 80 20 10 Rome 50 36 45 30 / 80 90 40 10 Peachtree City 50 37 46 30 / 90 90 30 10 Vidalia 61 47 52 38 / 80 90 10 10 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning from 7 PM this evening to 7 PM EST Friday for the following zones: Dawson...Fannin...Gilmer...Lumpkin... Murray...Towns...Union...White. && SHORT TERM...Thiem LONG TERM....20 AVIATION...Thiem
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 547 AM EST Thu Jan 7 2021 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-081100- 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- 547 AM EST Thu Jan 7 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and Central Georgia. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight... Some accumulating snow and light freezing rain is expected in the higher elevations of northeast Georgia tonight into Friday. A Winter Storm Warning has been issued accordingly so please see for more details. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday... A Winter Storm Warning has been issued through Friday evening for some accumulating snow and light freezing rain in the higher elevations of northeast Georgia. Subfreezing temperatures on Friday night could also cause slippery road conditions. Otherwise another disturbance could bring a light mix of rain and snow to portions of north Georgia for Monday into Tuesday. There is great uncertainty with this system so please monitor the forecast for likely changes. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not requested but spotters are encouraged to submit reports of winter weather through the web by going to weather.gov/atlanta. Please relay any information about observed winter weather to the NWS while following all local, state, and CDC guidelines.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
The Dawson County Emergency Manager reported 2 inches of snow accumulation in areas above 2000 feet in elevation.
The Lumpkin County Emergency Manager reported 1/2 inches of snow accumulation at Neel's Gap.
The Towns County Emergency Manager reported 1 inch of snow accumulation along Highway 76 at near the Rabun Count line and along Highway 75 near the White County line.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, January 2021
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: 932951, 932953, 932954.