Local

Forecasters Describe Storm as ‘Historic’, ‘Catastrophic’, ‘Crippling’

February 11th, 2014

The forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Peachtree City are not mincing words:

“Confidence is increasing in an event of historical proportions.” [italics in original]
“Expect significant – crippling – ice totals from Atlanta eastward along the I-20 corridor.” [italics in original]
“A significant winter storm, with crippling snow and ice amounts, is expected Tuesday night into Thursday. Prepare now for this potentially catastrophic event!!” [exclamation points in original]
“We are looking at a storm of potentially historic proportion. … Everybody has got to prepare today. This is a big, big, big deal.” – metereologist Tricia Palmer of the National Weather Service, speaking Tuesday morning with WABE’s John Lorinc.

These weather forecasters want to make sure everyone in the Atlanta area gets the message: a very severe ice and snow storm is coming, and you need to make preparations now.

On a day-by-day basis, here is the official weather forecast from the National Weather Service for the Atlanta metro area:

Today: Rain and sleet in the morning…then rain likely in the afternoon. Sleet accumulation up to 1 inch. Near steady temperature in the mid 30s. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.

Tonight: Rain and sleet likely in the evening…then freezing rain… Sleet…rain and snow after midnight. Windy. Snow and sleet accumulation up to 1 inch. Ice accumulation of less than one quarter of an inch. Lows around 30. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.

Wednesday: Freezing rain…snow and sleet in the morning…then freezing rain and snow in the afternoon. Windy. Snow and sleet accumulation up to 2 inches. Ice accumulation of up to one half of an inch. Highs in the lower 30s. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.

Wednesday Night: Freezing rain with a chance of snow in the evening…then a chance of snow after midnight. Lows in the upper 20s. North winds 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 80 percent.

Thursday: Partly sunny. Not as cool. Highs in the upper 40s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 20s.

Friday: Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 50s.

The NWS web site has an interactive map of the state of Georgia providing detailed local forecasts by county, as well as a wealth of additional data.