Weather

Snowiest Day On Record: The Day Forsyth County Saw Most Snowfall

With winter only one-third over, will Forsyth County break the snowiest day on record, which occurred in 1968?

Historical weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows every state in the country, even tropical Hawaii, has seen snow.
Historical weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows every state in the country, even tropical Hawaii, has seen snow. (Kathleen Sturgeon/Patch)

FORSYTH COUNTY, GA — Only a few centenarians may remember April 15, 1921, the day it snowed 76 inches in Boulder County, Colorado. Snowfall records for a single day aren't quite as impressive in Forsyth County, according to an analysis of government weather data.

Historical weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows every state in the country, even tropical Hawaii, has seen snow. A February 1936 storm that dumped 6½ inches of snow on Maui was impressive even by Midwest and Northeast standards. The only other time that Hawaii had an extreme snowfall was in December 1958, when the Big Island got 4½ inches.

In Forsyth County, the biggest one-day snowfall was 7 inches on Feb. 29, 1968. In Georgia, the record is tied between Murray County, when it snowed 20 inches on March 14, 1993, and Etowah County, when it snowed 20 inches a day earlier on March 13, 1993.

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That compares to records in neighboring counties:

  • Fulton County, 8.3 inches: Jan. 23, 1940
  • Gwinnett County, 7.5 inches: Jan. 10, 2011
  • Cherokee County, 12 inches: March 14, 1993
  • Cobb County, 10 inches: Dec. 9, 2017
  • DeKalb County, 7.2 inches: Jan. 30, 1936

With two months of winter left, there are plenty of chances to break those records. The Old Farmer's Almanac predicted a cold, snowy winter throughout much of the United States, with at least seven big snowstorms from one coast to the other.

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In our state, the Old Farmer's Almanac predicts weather that is "mild with soakers."

In Georgia, the competing Farmers' Almanac predicts very cold, blustery winds Jan. 24-Jan. 27. From Jan. 28-31, the weather is predicted to be fair, but bitterly cold.

For the month of February, the Farmers' Almanac predicts the following:

  • Feb. 1-3: Very cold air plunges across the South, bringing frosts to Gulf Coast and northern Florida. Fair, but unseasonably chilly Super Bowl LIV at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium.
  • Feb. 4-7: Fair and pleasant.
  • Feb. 8-11: Light snow and rain.
  • Feb. 12-15: Milder/showery.
  • Feb. 16-19: Fair skies.

In the short term, the seven-day National Weather Service prediction for our area calls for mostly sunny, with a high near 49 on Saturday. To view the complete forecast, click here.

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