Snow... in GEORGIA?!

The big story right now is the late season snow storm that has wreaked havoc throughout much of the eastern CONUS, causing school closures, even in areas that are accustomed to snow, but not this much this fast, causing power outages, as spring growth got weighed down under the snow. Flights in airports that have snow all the time, have had cancellation upon cancellation, interrupting flight schedules to clear off the run-ways again and again... Just as folks were beginning to warm up to the idea of approaching spring (I've been ready for a while, mind you), we are bombarded with a ferocious low pressure system, which first impacted our area with a large dose of severe weather (you know the stuff that produced a funnel cloud -- possible tornado -- while I was gone), as the cold front slammed into the warm sector, which was very comfortably warm at the time. Typical spring-like set-up, except this time, the cold on the other side was bitterly frigid, plummeting temperatures through the entire eastern half of the United States, placing us back in unwelcome freezing temperatures. We are seeing huge departures from the normal temperatures.When you consider the temperatures, it's bad enough, but when you add the snow element, it's just beyond crazy. Look at the snowfall totals in Georgia alone. As much as 7" of snow fell over Georgia on Sunday, MARCH 1ST!!! Meso Mike reported snow flurries as far south as Tifton, and I heard some talk that the precipitation locally was frozen at times.

On Sunday, March 1st, precipitation wrapping around a low pressure system which tracked across Georgia from south of Columbus to near Athens, brought a swath of snowfall across portions of north and central Georgia. Light rain began ahead of the upper low during the early morning hours, and changed over to a rain snow mix over west Georgia around 8am and then to all snow by late morning. The combination and timing of the cold air and moisture created the largest area-wide snow event since 2002. Snow fell across the area through the day and into the evening hours, exiting east Georgia late Sunday evening. The map below shows the snowfall amounts across north and central Georgia.

Friends in Georgia have shared pictures with me of their March snow experience. Most are excited!

Snow in Byron, GA:Thanks, Meso Mike!

Snow in Snellville, GA: Thanks, Martina!

Snow in Norcross, GA: Thanks, Courtney! Aren't they precious?!

Bottom line is that snow should not happen in Georgia in March. It's just not right.

Hey look, Alabama Mike, John Brown and I are famous... More to come on the Southern Weather Brigade website.

Try to have a warm day... unless you're in Texas, then... :OP
~Dewdrop