GaWx

Finally at 12:50AM, I’m after all of these hours seeing some snow mixung in with the still predominant sleet! It’s 28.6F. I have ~1.25” of sleet on the ground! @dsaur would love it! @metalicwx367

ZR changed back to moderate sleet within the last ~45 minutes and with the colder temp (29.0F), it is accumulating nicely on the ground now with ~0.5” measured! Even my asphalt street is starting to turn white. Roads are very slick with some bridges closed. As Don said, it switched to snow at the more inland airport at 10PM but went back to a mix at 11PM. Even Ft Pulaski is at 29F thanks to N winds off the cold land. Sapelo Island and St. Simons are at 32.

1. It’s been mainly ZR for the last hour here after mainly sleet for a couple of hours. That tells me 850s are probably at least ~+3C due to a stubborn warmer area that some models had. 2. 1.1” officially at KATL (overperformed).

It has turned from sleet to a mix of sleet and ZR with 30.4F. Tiny icicles on some leaves. I expect it to turn to snow soon (within a couple of hours at the very most) as the heavier stuff comes in. We’ll see. Sleet getting heavier again.

Down to 31.0F with sleet continuing. Accumulating easily on elevated surfaces.

Also, it doesn’t seem like a big ZR setup in our area with no wedge. That along with your and other reports is very encouraging. The wind is blowing the sleet up against the window. It is accumulating on the leaves of a bush I just looked at. Down to 32.5.

Sleet has just gotten much heavier and it is loud! Temp dropped to 33.4F!

Southside

Sleet started here in Savannah about 5:50PM with 35.4F. Wind blowing hard!

Unofficial FL record is 5”. That is from Jan of 1800 on border with SE GA near St. Mary’s. @donsutherland1knows about that storm. That record being clobbered!

My sis in Emory area FaceTimed me and it is coming down heaviest yet with a nice dusting!

VERY light rain here in SAV just started at 3:30PM with 37.4F.

Do you agree @purduewx80and @SnowGoose69and @CheeznadoATL may be about to get snow? Not only the radar, but Columbus and especially Auburn have been getting snow recently. Also, doesn’t the 1000 ft elevation help ATL? And @dsaur ~30-40 miles south just started getting snow!

Agreed on the temps. -My highest has been ~39 vs 41 forecast. Wetbulb ~31. -Jacksonville’s forecasted high of low 50s won’t be close as high so far only 44 -Brunswick/St. Simons only 42-3 so far. Forecast was 45-47. -Waycross only 44 vs ~46 forecast

Thanks for your insight! Based on the 12Z models, I agree 100%. And regardless, all of the models have increased qpf substantially! For our corridor, Euro is on the low side with 0.65-0.8”. 17Z HRRR is 0.85-1”. ICON and CMC are 0.9-1”. The others are 1-1.25”! The variance in 850s from model to model strongly is affecting predominant precip types (Kuchera snow except Icon): -The ICON and NAM, which have <0.7” of SN, have 850s mainly +1 to +2C favoring IP/ZR. NAM has 1-2” of IP and 0.55-0.80” of ZR as it has ~1.1-1.2” total qpf. ICON doesn’t show IP or ZR, but it would have to be quite high considering the 0.9-1” qpf! -CMC is in between with 0 to +1C 850s till going <0C late. It has ~3.5-4” of SN/IP with ~1.5-2” of IP. It has only ~0.05” of ZR. -Euro: ~+1C 850z til late when it goes <0C. But it somehow still gives 2.5-4” of snow and 3-5” of SN/IP, combined. ZR light (<0.1”). -GFS is significantly colder with 850s starting ~0C and later falling from there. With qpf up to 1-1.25”, it gives 4-6.5” snow/IP (mainly SN)! ZR is surprisingly high considering the 850s with 0.3-0.4”! That looks highly suspect. -17Z HRRR is on the high end of snow/IP (almost all snow) with 7.5-8.5”!! ZR is minimal. Qpf is high at 1.05-1.35”. 850s: start +1 to 0C but fall pretty quickly. So, lots of variance on wintry precip forms for our corridor depending on 850s with this likely historic storm! @Awesomesauce81 @gtg947h

Montgomery, AL, had light snow just start. It is increasing in Hattiesburg, MS, and continues heavy in McComb and N.O. At Mobile it started 3 hours ago. Pensacola NAS just stated getting flurries at 11AM EST with 28 and DP of 20. An hour earlier it was 32/8.

McComb, MS, in far S MS just N of LA border 100 miles NNW of N.O. started snowing at 9AM EST and went to heavy snow (1/4 mile vis) at 11AM! Comparing that to latest models: HRRR, Euro, NAM 3km, and Icon significantly too light while CMC and GFS closer to reality.

Thanks. Fwiw, Greenville, AL, which is S of Montgomery, has snow that started a little while ago. Only official station N of Mobile area with snow. But that’s still pretty far south.

Do you have a good feel for about when S of I-20 would likely get their up to 1/2”?

1.5 hours ago it was looking like ATL could have snow before noon. And now you two both think it probably won’t snow at all?

But we were just talking about the possibility of snow starting in ATL area by late morning.

Even near the airport? What’s changed?

14Z HRRR has spot on dewpoints in ATL and GA in general as of 10AM fwiw. But 12Z NAM 10AM dewpoints too high as KATL at 17F vs reality of 8F. It has dewpoints in other parts of GA also too high. Something to keep in mind when considering qpf differences between the two models at least in GA. HRRR may be more realistic.

I suggested my sis tell my bro in law, who just left for work, to return home out of caution just in case. Don’t know when he’s planning to come home. He works at airport and lives near Emory Univ. All schools closed there today unlike the 1/2 day they had in 2014, thank goodness. Good advice to ask him to come back home now?

Any guesses as to when measurable snow will start in Atlanta area? Should folks go to work for 1/2 day or is there risk of 1/29/2014 snow jam again? That’s what happened then. Schools went for 1/2 day and they got stuck at 11-11:30AM or so. I had told my sis to keep kids home, which she did, then based on radar/obs. She was thankful. Is today going to be repeat?