North Georgia is going to get nailed...

[Brent]

Hope ya'll are ready.

CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS
ATLANTA CLOUDY 34 6 31 E18 30.54R WCI 23
ATHENS CLOUDY 33 0 24 E18G24 30.60F WCI 22
CHAMBLEE CLOUDY 33 4 29 E10G24 30.54S WCI 25
PEACHTREE CITY CLOUDY 35 4 27 SE8 30.53R WCI 29
ROME CLOUDY 40 11 30 SE14 30.52R WCI 32
WEST ATLANTA CLOUDY 37 4 25 E15G23 30.55R WCI 28
GAINESVILLE CLOUDY 32 4 30 E16G23 30.57S WCI 21
CARTERSVILLE CLOUDY 36 7 29 E10G22 30.53R WCI 28

CITY SKY/WX TMP DP RH WIND PRES REMARKS
LAWRENCEVILLE* SUNNY 32 3 29 E17 30.57S WCI 21
MARIETTA PTSUNNY 36 9 32 SE18G26 30.54R WCI 25
KENNESAW* CLOUDY 34 7 32 E22G30 30.54R WCI 22
WINDER* CLOUDY 32 5 32 E8G17 30.61S WCI 25
ELBERTON* CLOUDY 34 -4 19 MISG 30.67S
NEWNAN* CLOUDY 34 9 35 E7G16 30.51F WCI 28
CANTON* CLOUDY 34 0 23 E10G24 30.51F WCI 26

[GAStorm]

This storm could stay all frozen for the north GA area. I really don't see how temps will get up to 35 like the NWS is predicting. Dewpoint here is now sitting at 4!

[tedryan]

If you want to see an interesting view of the Cold Air Dam, right now, Athens is 34 with dewpoint of 1, Atlanta 35 with a dewpoint of 1 while Rome, to our NW is 41 with a dewpoint of 8 with SE winds. Give it a few hours and watch Rome's dewpoint decline then increase as the moisture nears.

[JenyEliza]

I'm ready. All stocked up, not planning go anywhere or do anything except stop at the gas station/store on the way home from work for beer and snacks.

Then...whatever will be....will be. It's out of my control completely.

Jeny

[Air Force Met]

You know...the one thing the NWS always fails to get is evaporative cooling. They miss it all the time here (in Houston). THey are going for an 80% chance of precip and lows in the low 30's...when it is already in the low to mid 30's...and the dewpoints are below 0 or in the low single digits. Once precip starts falling through dry air...it always drops the temp...and usually the temp and dewpoint meet somewhere in the middle. I cannot understand why they never (or rarely) seize on this. I guess most of those guys follow the models too much and the models don't pick up on that...and maybe they don't have the experience to know that it happens. That's a big reason the local NWS blew the CHristmans forecast here...they didn't factor in evap cooling as the precip started to fall. We went from a temp/dewpt of 40/18 to 27/25 in a matter of 4 hours...once the precip started to fall. Go to this link and you can see what happened once the precip started at 4 pm on Dec 24th. This is the official site...about 6 miles south of us...we were about 3 degrees cooler here at the house.

http://www.wunderground.com/history/air ... story.html

[JenyEliza]

So, AFM, you're in agreement that Atlanta/N. GA is going to get nailed hard tonight/tomorrow?

[GAStorm]

If you want to see an interesting view of the Cold Air Dam, right now, Athens is 34 with dewpoint of 1, Atlanta 35 with a dewpoint of 1 while Rome, to our NW is 41 with a dewpoint of 8 with SE winds. Give it a few hours and watch Rome's dewpoint decline then increase as the moisture nears.

The dewpoint in Marietta is now down to 0! This will definitely play a big factor with evaporational cooling.

[JenyEliza]

If you want to see an interesting view of the Cold Air Dam, right now, Athens is 34 with dewpoint of 1, Atlanta 35 with a dewpoint of 1 while Rome, to our NW is 41 with a dewpoint of 8 with SE winds. Give it a few hours and watch Rome's dewpoint decline then increase as the moisture nears.

The dewpoint in Marietta is now down to 0! This will definitely play a big factor with evaporational cooling.

I work in the Galleria area. I just came back in from outside. It's colder (and windier) than all get out. Surely we've already hit our high for the day...

So...do you think we'll be seeing some stray sleet by late this afternoon?

[GAStorm]

I work in the Galleria area. I just came back in from outside. It's colder (and windier) than all get out. Surely we've already hit our high for the day...

So...do you think we'll be seeing some stray sleet by late this afternoon?

The dewpoint in Marietta is now down to 0! This will definitely play a big factor with evaporational cooling.

If you want to see an interesting view of the Cold Air Dam, right now, Athens is 34 with dewpoint of 1, Atlanta 35 with a dewpoint of 1 while Rome, to our NW is 41 with a dewpoint of 8 with SE winds. Give it a few hours and watch Rome's dewpoint decline then increase as the moisture nears.

I doubt it would start later this afternoon. More like later tonight.

[AnthonyC]

Looks as if Atlanta/Athens will get slammed by this storm. It may begin briefly as snow, but dewpoints are so low it'll take quite abit of moisture to override before the precip hits the ground. By that time, there may be enough warm air at higher altitudes to elimate the snow threat. In any event, expect 1-2 inches of ICE. That's pretty impressive...not quite as impressive as January 2000, but it comes close. Be ready for power outages and everyone PLEASE stay off the roads. Seattle had a brief bout of freezing rain two weeks ago and there were ALOT of accidents...I myself got in an accident. You may not think it's slippery, but it is. Just be careful and enjoy the winter weather.

Anthony

[JenyEliza]

000
FXUS62 KFFC 281909
AFDFFC

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
200 PM EST FRI JAN 28 2005

.SHORT TERM...
LITTLE CHANGE TO EXPECTED WINTER WEATHER SITUATION BASED ON 12Z MODELS. REAL TIME DATA ALSO IN LINE WITH PREVIOUS THINKING MAKING FOR CONTINUED CONFIDENCE ON FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT ICE EVENT. WEDGE OF SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE IN PLACE ACROSS GA THIS AFTERNOON PROVIDING COOLER AND VERY DRY AIR MASS. SURFACE LOW CENTERED NEAR NEW ORLEANS
AIDING TO SPREAD MOISTURE NORTHWARD ACROSS MS INTO AL. CURRENT RADAR SHOWING SCATTERED AREAS OF MOSTLY VIRGA...THOUGH BHM REPORTED SLEET SHOWER JUST AFTER NOON TIME. IN ADDITION HAD A FEW REPORTS OF SLEET IN UNION CITY AND FAYETTEVILLE AROUND 2 PM. THINKING ISOLATED SLEET SHOWERS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS AREAS FROM NEAR CARROLLTON TO ATLANTA AT BEST. THIS SHOULD NOT CAUSE ANY ISSUES.
SHOULD SEE GRADUAL INCREASE IN COVERAGE OF SLEET SHOWERS THIS EVENING GIVING WAY TO FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET TOWARDS MIDNIGHT THROUGH THE MORNING. ICE ACCUMULATION SHOULD BEGIN MAINLY ON THE TREES...POWERLINES AND EXPOSED OBJECTS THAT CAN COOL DOWN QUICKLY... I.E. METAL ON CARS... LIGHT POLES...ETC. IN TERMS OF ROADS... BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES WILL BE THE FIRST CONCERN...WITH SECONDARY ROADS AND ROADS LESS TRAVELED GRADUALLY BECOMING ICY. MORE TRAVELED ROADS WILL BE MORE OF A CONCERN FROM ATLANTA NORTH AND EAST WHERE TEMPERATURES COULD FALL INTO THE 25 TO 28 DEGREE RANGE.

OVERALL...
TRAVEL MAY BECOME HAZARDOUS LATE TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING. ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF NEAR A QUARTER INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM MACON TO ATLANTA WITH A QUARTER TO HALF INCH POSSIBLE FROM ATLANTA TO ATHENS AND NORTHWARD BY NOON SATURDAY. THIS IS SLIGHTLY FARTHER SOUTH THAN PREVIOUS THINKING BASED ON THE 12Z RUN OF THE ETA WHICH HAS THE
COLDER AIR A BIT FARTHER SOUTH. THIS SEEMS REASONABLE SO WILL GO WITH IT BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF DRY AIR AVAILABLE TO COOL THE LOW LEVELS. AS A RESULT WILL EXPAND WINTER STORM WARNING FARTHER SOUTH INTO MACON AREA. SO WHEN WILL WE SEE IMPROVEMENTS ON SATURDAY...AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS MOST OF THE MORNING WILL SEE TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING...ONLY TOWARDS EARLY AFTERNOON WILL WE SEE A GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST. AREAS NEAR ATHENS AND GAINESVILLE INTO THE VALLEYS OF THE NORTH GA MTNS WILL LIKELY SEE ICING CONDITIONS MOST OF THE DAY. CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE BY SUNDAY AS TEMPERATURES WARM INTO THE 40S.

[CaptinCrunch]

A major winter storm will impact a large portion of the central Atlantic region this weekend. A moist southwesterly flow will attack the southern side of a massive arctic dome. The result will be widespread snow and ice. The worst of the storm will be experienced from northern Georgia to Virginia. A major ice build-up in the south will produce hazaradous travel conditions, and bring down trees and powerlines. To the north, there will be several inches of snow, the heaviest amounts probably occurring along the Blue Ridge Mountains. This storm will not come as far north as previous storms. Southern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey will have a close call, but farther north little or nothing will happen.

[JenyEliza]

[Brent]

This would be me(the southern fringe of the county to my east Troup was the edge of the warning area, now it's farther south)

ICE
ACCUMULATIONS OF NEAR A QUARTER INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM MACON TO
ATLANTA WITH A QUARTER TO HALF INCH POSSIBLE FROM ATLANTA TO ATHENS
AND NORTHWARD BY NOON SATURDAY. THIS IS SLIGHTLY FARTHER SOUTH THAN
PREVIOUS THINKING BASED ON THE 12Z RUN OF THE ETA WHICH HAS THE
COLDER AIR A BIT FARTHER SOUTH. THIS SEEMS REASONABLE SO WILL GO
WITH IT BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF DRY AIR AVAILABLE TO COOL THE LOW
LEVELS. AS A RESULT WILL EXPAND WINTER STORM WARNING FARTHER SOUTH
INTO MACON AREA.

[GAStorm]

I guess there may be an outside chance some of that could reach the ground. It would take a while since the dewpoint is now -3 here!

[Brent]

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
230 PM EST FRI JAN 28 2005

.HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD DOWN THE EAST SIDE OF THE APPALACHIANS
TODAY...BRINGING COLDER AND DRIER AIR TO NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA.
MEANWHILE RAIN ACROSS THE MID SOUTH WILL MOVE EASTWARD...REACHING
INTO WEST GEORGIA BY THIS EVENING. THE SURFACE TEMPERATURES ARE
EXPECTED TO REACH NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING OVERNIGHT AND REMAIN NEAR
FREEZING ON SATURDAY. THIS COULD LEAD TO A PROLONGED PERIOD OF WINTER
WEATHER...PRIMARILY FREEZING RAIN.

GAZ078>084-094-095-292100-
BIBB-CRAWFORD-HARRIS-HOUSTON-PEACH-TALBOT-TAYLOR-TWIGGS-WILKINSON-
230 PM EST FRI JAN 28 2005

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 4 PM EST
SATURDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS EXPANDED THE WINTER STORM WARNING
FARTHER SOUTHWARD. THE WINTER STORM WARNING NOW INCLUDES AREAS NORTH
OF A LINE FROM NEAR TALBOTTON TO WARNER ROBINS TO IRWINTON. THIS
INCLUDES THE MACON METROPOLITAN AREA.

A STRONG AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO BUILD DOWN THE EAST SIDE
OF THE APPALACHIANS THIS AFTERNOON...BRINGING COLDER AND DRIER AIR
INTO NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. MEANWHILE RAIN OVER THE MID SOUTH
WILL MOVE EASTWARD INTO GEORGIA OVERNIGHT. SURFACE TEMPERATURES ARE
EXPECTED TO DROP TO FREEZING OR BELOW OVERNIGHT AND CONTINUE DURING
THE DAY SATURDAY. THIS COULD LEAD TO A PROLONGED PERIOD OF FREEZING
RAIN. WHILE THERE COULD BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF SLEET AT THE ONSET OF
PRECIPITATION...AND THERE COULD BE SOME SNOW MIXED IN OVER NORTHEAST
GEORGIA...THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS.
SOUTH OF THE ATLANTA AND ATHENS AREAS...ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE
NEAR 1/4 INCH. FROM ATLANTA AND ATHENS NORTHWARD 1/4 TO 1/2 INCH OF
ICE IS POSSIBLE...WITH AMOUNTS CLOSER TO 1/2 INCH OR GREATER POSSIBLE
OVER THE FAR NORTHEAST.

ON SATURDAY TEMPERATURES WILL RISE ABOVE FREEZING ACROSS CENTRAL
GEORGIA IN THE MORNING...CHANGING THE PRECIPITATION BACK TO ALL
RAIN...BUT OVER NORTH GEORGIA TEMPERATURES WILL NOT WARM
SIGNIFICANTLY...LEADING TO THE FREEZING RAIN CONTINUING WELL INTO THE
DAY SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES SHOULD BEGIN TO WARM UP ABOVE FREEZING
OVER NORTH GEORGIA LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON OR SATURDAY EVENING.

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SEVERE WINTER WEATHER IS
EXPECTED TO OCCUR. HEAVY ICE MAY ACCUMULATE IN THE AFFECTED AREAS
CAUSING HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. TRAVEL SHOULD BE AVOIDED IN THE
WARNING AREA AS ROADS WILL BECOME TREACHEROUS OR IMPASSABLE. ALSO ICE
ACCUMULATIONS ON TREES AND POWER LINES COULD CAUSE EXTENDED POWER
OUTAGES.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE MEDIA FOR THE LATEST
INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS WINTER WEATHER SITUATION.

[Seele]

It's very light, but near the I-75 / 285 intersection, a mix of sleet and rain has started.

[JenyEliza]

It's very light, but near the I-75 / 285 intersection, a mix of sleet and rain has started.

That's what one of my co-workers said when he got back from going to the bank.

Here we go....."Snowjam 2005"

[JenyEliza]

SHORT TERM FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
235 PM EST FRI JAN 28 2005

GAZ001>005-007-011>013-019>021-030>034-041>046-048-052>059-066>071-078-079-089-090-282200-BARTOW-BUTTS-CARROLL-CATOOSA-CHATTAHOOCHEE-CHATTOOGA-CHEROKEE-CLAYTON-COBB-COWETA-DADE-DEKALB-DOUGLAS-FAYETTE-FLOYD-FULTON-GILMER-GORDON-GWINNETT-HARALSON-HARRIS-HEARD-HENRY-JASPER-LAMAR-MERIWETHER-MONROE-MURRAY-MUSCOGEE-NEWTON-PAULDING-PICKENS-PIKE-POLK-ROCKDALE-SPALDING-TALBOT-TROUP-UPSON-WALKER-WHITFIELD-
-232 PM EST FRI JAN 28 2005

.NOW...
PERIODS OF LIGHT SLEET OR LIGHT RAIN WILL OCCUR THROUGH 5 PM ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA WEST OF A DALTON TO LAWRENCVILLE TO MCDONOUGH TO COLUMBUS LINE. NO ACCUMULATIONS OR TRAVEL PROBLEMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON...HOWEVER AFTER 6PM SOME ICY SPOTS MAY DEVELOP ON ROADS. MORE SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT WITH DANGEROUS ICE ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED.

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM TONIGHT THROUGH 4 PM SATURDAY.

$$

[Brent]

I think we had a brief period of VERY light sleet earlier. It's 39 degrees currently. You could just barely see it.