My December 1st winter forecast for below-normal temps and normal to above-normal snow and ice came through in spades. For Atlanta at the official airport station: December was -3.1F and precip was138% above-normal. January was -4.2F with precip 7% above-normal. February was -7.1F with precip 11% below-normal. Total winter time precip was 45% above-normal. There was a TRACE of snow on December 5th and 30th, just over half and inch snow on January 7th, a TRACE of snow on February 6th, 10th, 16th, and 24th and 3.6 inches snow Feb 12th. 1.1 inches fell at the Airport March 2nd while 3-6 fell in the North Suburbs and 9 in the mountains. December precip was 9.10 inches, January 5.38, and February 4.17 inches.
The average temperatures for the December 2009 - February 2010 period were among some of the coldest ever across north and central Georgia. Each of the four climate sites - Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Athens Ben Epps Airport, Columbus Metropolitan Airport and Macon/Middle Georgia Regional Airport - saw average temperatures among the ten coldest ever recorded. The average temperatures Columbus had the 4th coldest average temperature for the winter season, while Macon tied for the 5th coldest, Atlanta was the eighth coldest and Athens tied for the ninth coldest winter season.
Average Temperatures (December 1 - February 28 Meteorological Winter)
Atlanta
YEAR Average
Temperature
1976-1977 36.9
1977-1978 38.3
1962-1963 38.8
1963-1964 38.8
1935-1936 38.9
1939-1940 39.0
1901-1902 39.2
2009-2010 40.1
1885-1886 40.2
1917-1918 40.2
Athens
YEAR Average
Temperature
1976-1977 38.4
1904-1905 38.6
1917-1918 38.6
1903-1904 38.9
1977-1978 39.2
1909-1910 39.4
1962-1963 39.8
1963-1964 39.9
1935-1936 40.4
2009-2010 40.4
Macon
YEAR Average
Temperature
1976-1977 42.8
1977-1978 43.4
1935-1936 43.5
1939-1940 43.5
1901-1902 43.6
2009-2010 43.6
1904-1905 43.7
1963-1964 43.8
1917-1918 44.0
1903-1904 44.2
Columbus
YEAR Average
Temperature
1976-1977 42.6
1963-1964 42.9
1977-1978 43.2
2009-2010 43.4
1962-1963 43.5
1969-1970 43.6
1957-1958 43.7
1968-1969 45.1
1960-1961 45.6
1965-1966 45.9
The total snowfall this season at Atlanta breaks top 5 for total snowfall recorded December through March for the period of record. As of midnight Wednesday March 3, the total snowfall for the winter season so far is 5.3 inches which is now the fifth highest since accurate snow records began in 1929. Additionally...the snow on March 2nd marks the third time measurable snow and the tenth time at least a trace of snow or sleet fell at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport this season. In an average winter season...Atlanta typically experiences 4 days of measurable snow and 6 days with a trace or more of snow or sleet. These represent what falls from the sky not what stays on the ground, more typically there is no accumulation.
Snowfall (December 1 - March 30)
Atlanta
Normal 2.5 inches
Total through March 2nd
5.3 inches
YEAR SNOWFALL
1935 10.9
1982 10.3
1939 8.3
1981 7.7
1991 5.0
1959 4.8
1986 4.8
1978 4.6
1933 4.5
1961 4.5
Athens
Normal 2.5 inches
Total through March 2nd
5.0 inches
YEAR SNOWFALL
1935 12.0
1982 10.6
1939 9.8
1959 8.6
1933 8.2
1986 7.5
1981 7.1
1979 6.3
1965 5.6
1978 4.7
Macon
Normal 1.6 inches
Total through March 2nd
3.0 inches
YEAR SNOWFALL
1972 16.5
1935 4.6
1954 3.7
1978 3.4
1939 3.0
1976 3.0
1967 2.9
1992 2.6
1981 2.2
1987 2.1
Columbus
Normal 1.1 inches
Total through March 2nd
2.0 inches
YEAR SNOWFALL
1972 14.0
1992 2.5
1978 2.0
1981 2.0
1993 1.6
1976 1.4
1979 1.0
1982 1.0
1987 1.0
1996 1.0
Georgia’s Winter Expensive
By David Emory Stooksbury
University of Georgia
This past winter was unusually cold and wet across Georgia, causing the heating demand for buildings to soar.
Climatological winter runs from December 1 to the last day in February. This winter was typical of an El Niño one for Georgia -- but on hyperdrive. The average mean daily temperature was extremely cold statewide. The daily mean temperature is calculated by taking the daily maximum temperature plus the daily minimum temperature then dividing the sum by two.
This past winter will be remembered for its long periods of below-normal temperatures. It wasn’t that Georgia experienced long periods of bitterly cold temperatures in the single digits. It was the lack of the typical warm periods between the cold periods.
The average mean temperature in north Georgia this winter was near the fourth percentile, depending on the location. Locations in south Georgia experienced mean winter temperatures near the seventh percentile. At the fourth percentile, 96 out of 100 winters would be warmer. At the seventh percentile, 93 out of 100 winters would be warmer.
The average daily minimum temperatures for the winter were around the tenth percentile statewide, except around Savannah, where the average minimum temperatures were near the fifth percentile. At the tenth percentile, 90 out of 100 winters would be warmer.
While the daily minimum temperatures were on average cold, it was the daily maximum temperatures that were the most impressively cold.
At locations across the southern half of Georgia, the average daily maximum temperatures were either the first or second percentiles. At the first percentile, 99 years out of 100 would be warmer. Across the northern half of Georgia, the average daily maximum temperatures were around the fifth percentile, depending on location.
The winter as a whole was very wet across the state, especially in December. In January and February, south Georgia was abnormally wet. However, rainfall for January and February across the northern half of the state was near normal to slightly below normal.
Because of the cold temperatures, heating demand for the winter was much higher than normal.
Across north Georgia, heating demand for Athens was 20 percent above normal. Atlanta was 22 percent above normal. Compared to last winter, heating demand in Athens was 32 percent higher and in Atlanta 36 percent higher.
The heating demand is based on heating degree days, which reflects the amount of energy needed to heat a building to a comfortable level considering the daily outside temperature.
In middle Georgia, heating demand for this winter was 32 percent above normal in Columbus, 23 percent above normal in Macon and 19 percent above normal in Augusta. Compared to last winter, heating demand in Columbus was 42 percent higher, 42 percent higher in Macon and 40 percent higher in Augusta.
Along the Georgia coast, heating demand for this past winter was 15 percent above normal in Savannah and 24 percent above normal in Brunswick. Compared to last year, heating demand in Savannah was 35 percent higher and 46 percent higher in Brunswick.
Alma’s heating demand for this past winter as 40 percent higher than normal and 38 percent higher than last year.
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