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January 30th-February 1st Winter Storm potential

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
331 PM EST Fri Jan 30 2026


...Afternoon Area Forecast Discussion...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 328 PM EST Fri Jan 30 2026

- A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for most of north and east-central
Georgia where significant accumulating snowfall and gusty winds
will create difficult to impossible travel conditions.

- A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for northwest Georgia through
portions of Middle Georgia and far southeast counties where
accumulations up to an inch will create hazardous travel.

- An Extreme Cold Warning covers the entire area Saturday night
into early Sunday afternoon when dangerous wind chills will
range from as cold as fifteen below to the single digits above
zero.


&&

.SHORT TERM...
(This evening through Saturday)
Issued at 328 PM EST Fri Jan 30 2026

Winter Storm Beginning Tonight:

An anomalous (as much as 5 to 6 standard deviations below average at
its strongest) mid-level trough will dig across the Midwest over the
course of the day today, closing off and swinging into the Southeast
through Sunday. Concurrently, moisture wrapping around the backside
of a rapidly intensifying surface low pressure system off the GA/SC
coast will overspread portions of north and central Georgia. The
interplay between these features, and an arctic airmass moving in in
the wake of the aforementioned surface low to reinforce already
unseasonably cool conditions, will set the stage for a potent
southern snow storm impacting a wide swath extending from Georgia
into the Carolinas.

Light snow showers may begin across far northwest Georgia as early
as 8PM tonight, with chances for snow showers spreading southward to
encompass most areas north of the I-20/I-85 interchange by 3 to 4AM,
and to a line extending from just north of Columbus to Macon by 7 to
8AM. The brunt of our forecast snowfall accumulations are expected
Saturday morning through early afternoon, after which lingering snow
showers will gradually taper off from west to east through sunset.

Forecast snowfall totals up to 2 to 5 inches, Metro-- and potentially up
to 4 to 6 inches in very far northeast Georgia -- are possible
within areas currently covered by a Winter Storm Warning (generally
along and to the east of the I-75/I-16 corridor), and up to 1"
within the Winter Weather Advisory (along and west of I-75 to the AL
border, and then south and east to Telfair, Wheeler, Montgomery, and
Toombs).


Potential for Mesoscale Banding and Squalls:

This is a high confidence setup climatologically (upper troughing
across ECONUS, cold air already in place and reinforced by an even
colder airmass moving in from the northwest), but uncertainty
remains regarding the development of mesoscale banding or snow
squalls that could result in locally higher snowfall totals varying
across the width of half a county -- or potentially less. These
small scale features are difficult for even HiRes models to resolve,
however, 1) signals for convergence boundaries seen in simulated
surface wind fields, 2) contours of 850mb frontogenesis, and 3) the
orientation/behavior of the mid-to-upper low suggests that two main
areas -- portions of northwest Georgia close to the AL border and
somewhere along a line extending from the Atlanta Metro to Athens --
have the potential to see intense bands of heavier snowfall that
could result in locally (much?) higher snowfall totals. Across
northeast/east Georgia where moisture advection off of the coastal
low is progged to be highest and longest-lived, locations that see
mesoscale banding or squalls could fairly easily see 6"+ of snow.


Impacts:

Snow liquid ratios over the course of the day Saturday will hover
around 20:1 -- far, far above average for locations this far south;
we typically see ratios closer to 5-8:1 -- supporting very dry,
powdery snow. This, combined with cold air and road temperatures,
will allow for accumulations to begin very quickly after snowfall
begins. Road conditions will deteriorate similarly quickly after the
onset of snow showers, and travel may become dangerous to
impossible. Once temperatures drop below freezing tonight, areas
receiving snowfall could remain below freezing through mid-morning
Monday -- hindering and delaying appreciable melting, especially in
shaded areas.

As the coastal low deepens, our surface pressure gradient will
increase, with gusts of 30 to 45 mph likely effective areawide by
Saturday afternoon. This, combined with light, powdery snow
accumulations, will introduce the potential for blowing snow, a
phenomena rarely observed in Georgia (or the Southeast, for that
matter). In the same vein, any snow squalls/bands that form have the
potential to decrease visibility rapidly and over a small area
spatially, which would further contribute to dangerous travel should
anyone venture out onto the roads.


Dangerous Cold and Wind Chills:

In addition to the hazards posed by meaningful snowfall for
potentially large swaths of north and central Georgia, unseasonably
cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills will settle in this
weekend. Lows tonight will be in the teens to 20s, with "feels like"
temperatures of 5 degrees or lower for areas along and north of I-
85. Highs on Saturday will actually occur very close to midnight
(tonight), with temperatures expected to continue to plummet as the
Arctic high eases its way east. By mid-afternoon Saturday,
temperatures will be in the teens to 20s for all but our far
southeastern tier. An Extreme Cold Warning has been issued for all
of north and central Georgia beginning 7PM Saturday: lows will drop
further into the teens (and single digits across far northeast
Georgia) overnight Saturday, with wind chills dipping below zero for
most areas along and north of a line extending from I-85 to
Athens.

The combination of all of the above factors make for a challenging
and potentially hazardous weekend ahead, weather-wise. Check in on
your family and community members, stay tuned to the forecast for
subsequent updates, and ensure preparations are complete by tonight
-- especially if you live within the northeastern quadrant of the
forecast area.


&&

.LONG TERM...
(Sunday morning through next Thursday)
Issued at 328 PM EST Fri Jan 30 2026

Snow will have come to an end by Sunday at the onset of the long-
term forecast period, though significant impacts will linger.
Temperatures and wind chills will be brutally cold Saturday night
into Sunday with an Extreme Cold Warning in effect through midday
Sunday. Wind chills Sunday morning will range from as cold as 15
below zero in the mountains of north Georgia to the single digits in
Middle Georgia - uncommon for this part of the country and dangerous
for those without appropriate clothing or safe and reliable heating
sources.
 
cyelle21 said:
I noticed that....I think that I am going to quit looking at the models and just wake up REALLY early in the morning just to see what I can see. ;) I will be happy with a few flurries at this point.
Click to expand...
I jumped the gun and told my 8 year old that he'll be waking up in the night to see some snow...if only flurries. Now, I just hope.
 
akt1985 said:
I’m hearing from meteorologists in north and central Alabama that road issues won’t be as bad because it will be a dry snow and the winds will blow the snow off the roads.
Click to expand...
possibly.

or the snow could initially melt on warm roads and refreeze.

but i tend to agree that the drier nature of the snow will mitigate travel issues.

i really think people will be fortunate to get a dusting though. maybe a few lucky people squeeze out an inch close to the GA border.
 
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