A vigorous closed upper-level low, with very cold temperatures aloft, continued to intensify as it moved rapidly southeast from the Midwest into the southeast U.S. from the evening of February 28th into the afternoon of March 1st.  At the same time, a polar air mass (marked by a 1040+ mb surface high) was spreading southeast from the central Canadian provinces into the eastern half of the U.S.  The combination of these events brought a rare late season heavy snow storm to parts of north and central Georgia.  Rain early in the morning changed to moderate to heavy snow just before noon on the 1st and spread from west to east across west central, north central, central, east central, and northeast Georgia.  Even some thunderstorms and cloud-to-ground lightning strikes were observed during the height of the storm from late morning through mid-afternoon across north central, west central, northeast, and central Georgia.  Measurable snowfall was confined to an area generally south of a Buchanan, to Canton, to Gainesville line and north of a Lumpkin, to Americus, to Warner Robins, to Gibson line.  Snowfall averaged two to three inches within most of the snow area, but pockets of five to six inches of snow were recorded across parts of west central Georgia from the north side of Columbus, through Pine Mountain and into Troup and Meriwether county.  The heaviest snow fell in northeast and parts of east central Georgia where a deformation zone developed on the back side of the departing upper low during the early evening.  Snowfall from Lawrenceville, to Athens, to Danielsville averaged six to seven inches.  The water content of the snow was high, which resulted in extensive downed trees, power lines, and telephone cables in areas that saw three or more inches of snow.  Widespread power outages to thousands of people were observed in the Clarke, Morgan, Oconee, Jackson, and Madison county areas of northeast Georgia.  Many residents in this part of the state were left without power for two to three days.
The weight of the more than a half-a-foot of heavy, wet snow caused 14 poultry houses on 11 different farms to collapse.  While the majority of this damage was in Madison county, a few chicken houses were also destroyed in Oconee and Morgan counties as well.  In Jackson county, damage to overhead netting and cable systems occurred at the Lamar Murphy Park in Jefferson and the West Jackson Park in Hoschton.
In addition to the heavy snow, strong northwest winds developed across the region as the snow departed and a large Arctic high pressure system moved southeast from the northern plains.  The gusty 25 to 30 mph northwest winds caused several trees and power lines to be blown down in Bartow county.  Two homes in Cartersville were damaged when trees fell on the structures.
Finally at least one injury was reported as a result of slick roads across the area.  A 21-year old male suffered an indirect weather-related injury when his Dodge Pickup truck hit a path of ice on Newborn Road in Morgan county.  The truck spun off the road and hit a tree.
The following is a summary by county of the maximum snowfall amount reported to the National Weather Service for all counties with the forecast area receiving a trace or more of snowfall:
Baldwin - trace,
Banks - 4.0 inches,
Barrow - 4.0 inches,
Bartow - trace,
Bibb - 2.0 inches,
Bleckley - 0.5 inch,
Butts - 4.0 inches,
Carroll - 1.5 inches,
Chattahoochee - 2.0 inches,
Cherokee - trace,
Clarke - 5.0 inches,
Clayton - 2.0 inches,
Cobb - trace north to 1.5 inches south,
Coweta - 2.0 inches,
Crawford - 1.0 inch,
Crisp - trace,
DeKalb - 1.5 inches north to 2.5 inches south,
Dodge - trace,
Dooly - trace,
Douglas - 4.0 inches,
Fannin - trace,
Fayette - 2.5 inches,
Forsyth - trace,
Fulton - 1.5 inches north to 2.5 inches south,
Glascock - trace,
Greene - 2.0 inches,
Gwinnett - 5.0 inches,
Hall - trace north to 5.0 inches south,
Hancock - 2.0 inches,
Haralson - trace,
Harris - 4.0 inches,
Heard - 3.0 inches,
Henry - 3.0 inches,
Houston - up to one inch north,
Jackson - 4.0 inches,
Jasper - 6.0 inches,
Jones - 3.0 inches,
Lamar - 2.0 inches,
Laurens - a trace north,
Lumpkin - trace,
Madison - 7.0 inches (the maximum within the forecast area),
Marion - 3.0 inches,
Meriwether - 5.0 inches,
Monroe - 2.0 inches,
Morgan - 4.0 inches,
Muscogee - 2.0 inches,
Newton - 4.0 inches,
Oconee - 5.0 inches,
Oglethorpe - 4.0 inches,
Paulding - 2.0 inches,
Peach - trace,
Pickens - trace,
Pike - 4.0 inches,
Pulaski - trace,
Putnam - 2.0 inches,
Rockdale - 1.0 inch,
Schley - 1.0 inch,
Spalding - 4.0 inches,
Talbot - 3.0 inches,
Taliaferro - 1.0 inch,
Taylor - 2.0 inches,
Towns - trace,
Troup - 4.0 inches,
Twiggs - 1.5 inches,
Upson - 3.0 inches,
Walton - 3.0 inches,
Wilkes - 2.0 inches,
Wilkinson - trace.

Heavy Snow in PEACH, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 20:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 10.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 4.0 inches.  Several trees and power lines were brought down from the weight of the heavy, wet snow.

Heavy Snow in PUTNAM, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 22:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 2.0 inches.  A few trees and power lines were down.

Heavy Snow in SPALDING, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 21:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 25.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 4.0 inches.  Many trees and power lines down across the county from the weight of the heavy, wet snow.

Heavy Snow in TALBOT, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 20:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 3.0 inches.  A few trees and power lines down within the county.

Heavy Snow in MARION, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 20:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 3.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 3.0 inches.  Some trees and power lines were down.

Heavy Snow in MERIWETHER, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 12:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 19:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 15.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Heavy snowfall of 4-5 inches fell across much of the county.  A number of trees and power lines were down from the weight of the heavy, wet snow.

Heavy Snow in MONROE, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 20:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall observed was 2.0 inches within the county. Many areas of the county received less.  A few trees and power lines were down.

Heavy Snow in MORGAN, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 22:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 100.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 4.0 inches.  Many trees and power lines were brought down from the weight of the heavy, wet snow.  A number of residents were left without power for up to two days in some cases.  A few chicken houses were destroyed when the weight of the heavy snow caused the roofs to collapse.
A 21 year-old male was injured when his Dodge pickup truck hit a patch of ice on Newborn Road, spun off the road, and hit a tree.

Heavy Snow in MUSCOGEE, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 19:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 3.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported in the county was 2.0 inches, mainly across the northern and eastern sections.  A few trees and power lines were down.

Heavy Snow in NEWTON, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 22:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 35.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 4.0 inches.  Many trees and power lines were brought down from the weight of the heavy, wet snow.  A number of residents were left without power, in some cases up to two days.

Heavy Snow in OCONEE, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 23:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 150.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Up to five inches of snow fell across the county.  The weight of the heavy, wet snow brought down numerous trees and power lines, leaving thousands of residents without power, in some cases for several days.  A few chicken houses were also destroyed from the weight of the heavy snow.

Heavy Snow in OGLETHORPE, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 23:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 4.0 inches.  The weight of the heavy, wet snow brought down numerous trees and power lines.  Many residents of the county were left without power, in some cases up to two to three days.

Heavy Snow in BIBB, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 14:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 20:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 2.0 inches.

Heavy Snow in BUTTS, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 12:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 21:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 4.0 inches.  A few trees and power lines were down in the county.

Heavy Snow in CHATTAHOOCHEE, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 14:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 19:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 2.0 inches.

Heavy Snow in CLARKE, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 23:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 5.0 inches.  Widespread power outages from downed trees and power lines.

Heavy Snow in CLAYTON, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 11:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 19:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 3.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 2.0 inches.  A few trees and power lines were down.

Heavy Snow in COWETA, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 11:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 19:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 3.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 2.0 inches.  A few trees and power lines were down.

Heavy Snow in HANCOCK, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 23:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 3.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 2.0 inches.  A few trees and power lines were down.

Heavy Snow in HARRIS, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 19:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 10.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 4.0 inches.  Snowfall ranged from three inches in the north part of the county to four inches in the south part.  Some trees and power lines were brought down by the weight of the heavy wet snow.

Heavy Snow in HEARD, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 12:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported as 3.0 inches, mainly in the southern part of the county.  Some trees and power lines were down in the county.

Heavy Snow in HENRY, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 12:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 19:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 7.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 3.0 inches.  Several trees and power lines were brought down by the weight of the heavy wet snow.

Heavy Snow in JACKSON, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 12:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 22:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 75.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 4.0 inches.  Many trees and power lines were brought down across the county from the weight of the heavy, wet snow.  Thousands of residents in the county were left without power, in some cases for two to three days.
The heavy wet snow caused damage to netting and cabling systems at two recreational parks, the Lamar Murphy Park in Jefferson and the West Jackson Place Park in Hoschton.

Heavy Snow in JASPER, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 21:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 25.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 6.0 inches.  Many trees and power lines were brought down across the county from the weight of the heavy, wet snow.  A number of residents were left without power, in some cases for more than 24 hours.

Heavy Snow in JONES, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 21:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 3.0 inches.  A few trees and power lines were down across the county.

Heavy Snow in LAMAR, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 12:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 20:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 3.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 2.0 inches.  A few trees and power lines were down from the weight of the snow.

Heavy Snow in PAULDING, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 11:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

The maximum snowfall reported was 2.0 inches.  The northern part of the county received less than 2.0 inches.

Heavy Snow in DOUGLAS, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 10:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 4.0 inches.  Several trees and power lines were down.

Heavy Snow in FAYETTE, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 11:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 19:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Employee

Snowfall ranged from 1.5 inches in the northern part of the county to 2.5 inches in the southern part of the county.  At the National Weather Service office in Peachtree City, the official snowfall measurement was 2.0 inches.  The county Emergency Manager reported that several trees, power lines, and telephone cables were down throughout the county.

Heavy Snow in GREENE, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 23:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 3.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall observed was 2.0 inches.  A few trees and power lines were down within the county.

Heavy Snow in GWINNETT, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 12:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 22:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall observed was 5.0 inches.  Many trees and power lines were down across the eastern and southern part of the county.  A number of residents were left without power for 24 hours or more.

Heavy Snow in HALL, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 12:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 23:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 25.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Snowfall varied from only a trace in the far northern part of the county to 5.0 inches in the southern part.  A number of trees and power lines were down in the southern part of the county, leaving many residents without power in those sections.

Heavy Snow in MADISON, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 12:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 23:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 600.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Newspaper

Up to seven inches of snow was reported in Madison county.  This was the highest snowfall total from any county within the Peachtree City forecast area.  Extensive and widespread downed trees and power lines were observed across the county.  Fourteen chicken houses were down on 11 farms, affecting 190,000 birds.  The roofs of the houses collapsed from the weight of the heavy snow.  Thousands of residents in the area were left without power, in some cases for several days.

Heavy Snow in BANKS, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 12:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 23:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 25.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 4.0 inches.  Many trees and power lines down across the county.

Heavy Snow in BARROW, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 12:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 22:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall was reported was 4.0 inches.  A number of trees and power lines down around the county.

Heavy Snow in TAYLOR, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 14:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 20:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 3.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 2.0 inches.  A few trees and power lines were down.

Heavy Snow in TWIGGS, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 19:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 10.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 4.0 inches, mostly across the southern and eastern portion of the county.  A number of trees and power lines were down across the county as a result of the weight from the heavy, wet snow.

Heavy Snow in UPSON, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 20:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 3.0 inches, mainly across the northern parts of the county.  Some trees and power lines were down as a result of the weight from the heavy, wet snow.

Heavy Snow in WALTON, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 23:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 25.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall observed was 3.0 inches.  A number of trees and power lines were down across the county as a result of the weight from the heavy, wet snow.  A number of residents in the area were left without power, in some cases for more than 24 hours.

Heavy Snow in WILKES, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 14:00:00 to 02-MAR-09 00:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall observed was 2.0 inches.  The heaviest snow remained to the west of Wilkes county.  However, the weight of the heavy, wet snow was enough to bring down a few trees and power lines.

Winter Weather in BLECKLEY, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 14:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 20:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall observed was 0.5 inch.

Winter Weather in CARROLL, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 11:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 1.5 inches.

Winter Weather in COBB, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 11:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snowfall reported ranged from a trace in the northern part of the county to 1.5 inches in the southern part.

Winter Weather in CRAWFORD, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 14:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 20:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 1.0 inch, mainly across the northern part of the county.

Winter Weather in NORTH FULTON, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 11:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported across the northern part of the county was 1.5 inches.

Winter Weather in SOUTH FULTON, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 11:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 18:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

Snowfall varied from one inch around downtown Atlanta to almost two inches in the southern part of the county.

Winter Weather in HOUSTON, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 14:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 20:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 1.0 inch, mainly across the northern part of the county.

Winter Weather in ROCKDALE, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 12:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 20:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 1.0 inch.

Winter Weather in SCHLEY, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 14:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 20:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 1.0 inch, mainly across the northern part of the county.

Winter Weather in TALIAFERRO, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 13:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 23:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 1.0 inch.

Winter Weather in TWIGGS, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 14:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 20:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall reported was 1.5 inches, mainly across the northern and western portion of the county.

Heavy Snow in DE KALB, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 12:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 21:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The maximum snowfall ranged from 1.5 inches in the northern part of the county to 2.5 inches in the southern part.  Some trees and power lines were down from the weight of the heavy, wet snow.

Heavy Snow in SOUTH FULTON, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 12:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 19:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Snowfall in South Fulton county was observed to be up to 2.0 inches in some areas.  A few trees and power lines were down from the weight of the heavy, wet snow.

Strong Wind in BARTOW, GEORGIA
From 01-MAR-09 18:00:00 to 01-MAR-09 22:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 35.00 EG
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Newspaper

The Daily Tribune News of Cartersville reported that gusty northwest winds caused several trees and power lines to fall across the county.  Two homes in Cartersville, one at the corner of Courrant and Porter Street and the other on Parmenter Street were damaged when trees fell on the structures.