The FOX 5 Storm Team say Atlanta is heading into a winter season without a strong signal for colder or warmer conditions, but with La Niña lurking in the Pacific Ocean, forecasters warn that one or two disruptive winter storms remain firmly on the table.
Atlanta winter weather outlook
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center released its winter outlook on Oct. 16, calling for “equal chances” of above-, near- or below-normal temperatures and precipitation across north and central Georgia. In plain terms, forecasters say that means there’s no strong signal either way. So what happens this winter will depend more on timing and the exact path of each storm than any broad seasonal pattern.
On average, metro Atlanta sees about 36 nights each winter with temperatures at or below freezing, according to NOAA’s 30-year climate normals. That number can swing wildly. Some winters barely hit half that, while 1968 still stands out as Atlanta’s coldest on record with 82 freezing nights. The city’s first freeze typically arrives around Nov. 13, though it has come as early as Oct. 11, 1906, and as late as Dec. 18, 1998. Even in spring, the threat can linger. Atlanta has recorded freezes as late as April 25.
Ice, however, remains the metro’s biggest wild card. Most winters pass without a major ice storm, but when they do hit, they can shut down roads and services for days. Past events in January 2011, February 2014 and the back-to-back storms of January 2025 all brought the region to a standstill despite relatively small accumulations by northern standards.
White Christmas in Georgia?
Atlanta doesn’t see much snow in a typical winter. On average, the city gets about 2.2 inches a year and only about a day and a half with at least an inch on the ground. NOAA records show the earliest measurable snowfall came on Nov. 11, 1968, and the latest fell on March 24, 1983. As for a white Christmas, that’s more myth than memory. The National Weather Service says Atlanta hasn’t had an official one since at least 1954, though parts of north Georgia last saw one in 2010.
With La Niña conditions in place, forecasters will be watching for those classic southern snow setups. A surge of cold air dropping in from the north meeting moisture from the Gulf. That combination has been behind several of metro Atlanta’s biggest winter hits in the past 25 years. No one can predict a specific storm months ahead, but the setup does increase the chance of a brief, high-impact event like the 2014 gridlock storm that froze the city in place.
The National Weather Service office in Peachtree City is urging a “prepared but not panicked” approach this winter. That means getting ready for occasional freezing nights, the possibility of one significant storm, and the need to act quickly if it develops with little warning.
2025-26 winter in North Georgia
Some of the things that simply will not be known as we head into winter:
- Whether the first impactful winter event comes before or after Christmas. Atlanta has seen surprise December freezes, but equally severe late-season events in February.
- Whether La Niña trends will weaken or persist into January. A neutralizing pattern could shift the storm track south and increase ice risk after mid-season.
- Whether the first event arrives as rain turns to ice, which is historically Atlanta’s highest-failure scenario. There is no reliable long-range guidance for that kind of setup.
- If colder Arctic air will be “properly timed” to meet Gulf moisture. Major Atlanta winter events occur only when those two collide within 12 to 24 hours, not just in theory.
- How school systems and commuters will react to early-season minor threats. A delayed response could recreate gridlock, even from a shallow glaze.
- Whether the region experiences a “nuisance winter” or a “one-bullet winter.” Atlanta has a long history of winters that feel quiet until one high-impact storm paralyzes the region.
- How fast ice could melt afterward. Past winters have seen major travel hazards not from the storm, but the 24–48 hours of flash-refreeze that followed it.
Biggest winter storms in Georgia
Here’s a year-by-year, AP-style timeline using the “Metro Atlanta ice storms (1996–2025)” list we built, with dates, brief details, and how long travel was effectively disrupted.
2000
Atlanta was hit by back-to-back ice storms Jan. 22–23 and Jan. 29–30, glazing roads, toppling trees and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. Travel was hindered for several days after each wave.
2004
A Jan. 25–27 icing episode spread into Gwinnett County and the northeastern suburbs. A brief glaze led to spotty bridge and overpass problems, with slow travel for about a day.
2005
Freezing rain Dec. 14–15 produced up to about a half-inch glaze in parts of the metro, downing limbs and closing some roads and elevated spans for roughly a day or two.
2010
A Dec. 15 “black ice” event struck at rush hour, triggering thousands of crashes and snarling traffic into the overnight; impacts lingered through the next morning.
2011
A major winter storm Jan. 9–10 dropped snow and sleet across metro Atlanta, followed by freezing drizzle and subfreezing temperatures that prolonged slick roads for multiple days.
2013
A quick-hitting Jan. 25 freezing-rain episode clipped the metro. Travel issues were mainly limited to bridges and higher elevations for part of a day.
2014 (Jan. 28)
“SnowJam” 2014 arrived Jan. 28 with light snow on warm roads that flash-froze by evening, creating region-wide gridlock and strandings into the next day. (Weather.gov)
2014 (Feb. 11–13)
A second, more powerful winter storm spread heavy snow and damaging ice across north and central Georgia. Travel disruptions and power outages lasted two to three days in parts of the metro.
2015 (Feb. 16–17)
Cold-air damming set the stage for significant icing north and northeast of Atlanta, with scattered outages and difficult travel that persisted into the following day.
2015 (Feb. 20–21)
Another round of wintry mix followed record cold, re-icing roads and producing renewed travel problems for about a day. Farther north, heavy snow compounded impacts.
2017
Jan. 6–7 brought several inches of snow to north Georgia and up to a quarter-inch of ice in parts of the Atlanta area, causing tough travel Friday night into Saturday and scattered outages.
2022
A Jan. 15–16 storm ended Atlanta’s long measurable-snow drought. A wedge of cold air turned rain to wintry mix and snow; slick roads and scattered outages affected travel through Sunday.
2025 (Jan. 10)
A winter storm brought the first widespread snow and freezing rain in years, closing schools and slowing roads across the metro; impacts carried into Saturday.
2025 (Jan. 21)
A second storm within two weeks added around an inch of snow in the metro, causing fresh travel delays and flight disruptions for roughly a day.
Your first winter in Georgia?
Snow, ice, and freezing rain behave differently in metro Atlanta than in northern states, and small systems can cause big impacts.
Here are some key things to know before winter sets in:
- Most of Atlanta’s worst traffic disasters didn’t come from big snowfalls. They came from quick, light systems that flash-froze wet roads before crews could treat them, like January 2014, December 2010, and January 2025.
- Storms that start as rain are the most deceptive. When that rain turns to sleet or snow right as schools release students or workers head home, gridlock follows. That rain-to-ice transition has caused some of the city’s most dangerous situations in the past 25 years.
- Cell networks can crash even when the power stays on. During the 2014 storm, phone calls failed before the lights went out, leaving emergency centers flooded with calls they couldn’t handle.
- Ice, not snow, is the biggest problem. Even a thin glaze can take down pine trees and power lines. A quarter-inch is often enough to leave neighborhoods in the dark for days.
- Conditions vary sharply by elevation. North Georgia can freeze while metro Atlanta stays wet, or vice versa. Just a few hundred feet in altitude can turn rain into ice.
- Interstates feeding into the city, like I-75 and I-85, usually freeze before I-285. Many assume the Perimeter will be the worst, but history shows it’s the opposite.
- Brine treatment doesn’t work in the rain. If precipitation starts as liquid, salt solutions wash away before they can prevent ice from forming.
- Schools now act faster. After the 2014 storm, many districts began canceling classes or releasing early based on risk projections, not snow totals. That means you might see closures even when only an inch or less is expected.
- A white Christmas is nearly unheard of, but black ice on Christmas Eve is a real hazard, and far more likely.
- Ice danger lingers long after the storms end. It takes only four to six hours below freezing to turn shaded spots and bridges into slick, invisible hazards. Most crashes happen the morning after the main system has passed.
Winter readiness: What metro Atlanta should do now
While the first day of freezing temperatures is likely a bit away, there are a few things that can be done now to prepare:
- Assume at least one winter storm is possible, even in a mild La Niña year. History shows metro Atlanta can see one high-impact event every three to five years.
- Have ice-worthy transportation plans, including alternate work or school arrangements, and keep at least one vehicle with a full tank of gas before any winter weather advisory is issued.
- Do not rely on “road salt timing” alone. Atlanta’s worst gridlock events came from flash-freeze situations that developed before pretreatments could take effect.
- Restock flashlights, batteries, shelf-stable food and necessary prescriptions. Power outages are most common during ice, not snow events.
- Be ready to lose internet and cell service temporarily, especially in heavily wooded areas that have seen damage during past storms, including 2014 and 2025.
- Insulate outdoor pipes and know where your main water shutoff valve is. Frozen plumbing problems tend to spike in January and February.
- Check generators, fireplaces and space heaters now, and make sure all are properly vented. Never run generators indoors or in enclosed spaces to avoid carbon monoxide exposure.
- Get notifications directly to your phone by downloading the FOX 5 Storm Team weather app and enabling location and notification settings.
- Bookmark the FOX 5 Atlanta closings page for the latest in school, business, and church closings and cancellations. If you are an administrator of one such organization, make sure to reach out now to ensure you are eligible and registered.
- Bring pets inside during freezing nights and make sure outdoor animals have fresh, unfrozen water and shelter.
- Put together a basic car kit that includes blankets, phone chargers, a small shovel, sand or kitty litter for traction, and snacks.
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace batteries so they are ready for increased use of heaters, fireplaces and generators.
- Check on elderly neighbors, people with disabilities and anyone who relies on powered medical equipment so you have a plan to help them if there are outages or travel issues.
When does winter begin?
The first hard freeze is expected early Monday morning.
Meteorological winter runs from December 1 through February 28.
The winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year, takes place Saturday, Dec. 21, 2025 at 4:03 a.m. Eastern time.
