A very deep eastern U.S. trough penetrating well south, even toward Cuba, allowed a bitter cold Arctic air mass to surge into the southeast U.S.  This brought some of the coldest weather to north and central Georgia that had been observed in years.  Atlanta recorded its coldest high temperature and its first high temperature below 30 degrees since February 1996.  On December 13th, the high temperature in Atlanta only reached 29 degrees Fahrenheit.  Low temperatures fell into the teens across much of north Georgia for several mornings, with single digit readings in the mountains.  Strong northwest winds supporting significant low-level cold advection contributed to significant orographic lifting across the north Georgia mountains.  Moisture and upper dynamics were limited, but sufficient when combined with the strong cold advection to bring snow showers and average snowfall of about one inch across many of the north Georgia mountain counties, generally north of Summerville, to Jasper, to Cleveland line, with a dusting of snow toward the north side of the Atlanta metropolitan area.  Some of the northwest facing slopes of the mountains received two to four inches of snow, with one report of five inches in parts of northeast Gilmer county.  With surface temperatures remaining well below freezing for an extended period of time, the snow easily accumulated on the ground.
The following is a summary of the maximum snowfall totals for north Georgia counties during this event, which began around noon on December 12th and ended around noon on December 13th.
Bartow county - a dusting;
Catoosa county - 1/2 inch;
Chattooga county - 1/2 inch or less;
Cobb county - a dusting;
Dade county - 1.0 inch;
Dawson county - 1/2 inch in lower to 2.0 inches in higher elevations;
Fannin county - 1.0 inch in lower to 2.0 inches in higher elevations;
Floyd county - a dusting;
Forsyth county - a dusting;
Gilmer county - 2.0 inches in lower to 5.0 inches at elevations above 2000 feet in the northeast part of the county;
Gordon county - a dusting;
Hall county - a dusting;
Lumpkin county - a dusting;
Murray county - a dusting to less than 1/2 inch;
Pickens county - generally 1.0 inch lower to 1.5 inches higher elevations;
Towns county - 2.0 inches, except isolated 3.0 inch totals at the higher elevations;
Union county - generally 1.0 inch of snow throughout through the county
Walker county - 1.0 inch of snow, with up to 2.0 inches in the higher elevations;
White county - 1/2 inch lower elevations to 1.0 inch in the higher elevations;
Whitfield county - dusting to less than 1/2 inch.

Winter Weather in UNION, GEORGIA
From 12-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 13-DEC-10 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The Union County 911 Center reported that snowfall averaged around one inch across most of the county.

Winter Weather in LUMPKIN, GEORGIA
From 12-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 13-DEC-10 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The Lumpkin County 911 Center reported that only a dusting of snowfall was observed across the county.

Winter Weather in WHITE, GEORGIA
From 12-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 13-DEC-10 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The White County 911 Center reported that snowfall ranged from 1/2 inch in the lower elevations to 1.0 inch in the higher elevations.

Winter Weather in TOWNS, GEORGIA
From 12-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 13-DEC-10 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The Towns County 911 Center reported that snowfall average about two inches across the county, with isolated near three inch totals in the higher elevations.

Winter Weather in WALKER, GEORGIA
From 12-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 13-DEC-10 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The Walker County 911 Center reported snowfall of one inch in the lower elevations to two inches in the higher elevations.

Winter Weather in DADE, GEORGIA
From 12-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 13-DEC-10 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The Dade County 911 Center reported average snowfall of one inch across the county.

Winter Weather in CHATTOOGA, GEORGIA
From 12-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 13-DEC-10 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The Chattooga County 911 Center reported snowfall of 1/2 inch or less across the county.

Winter Weather in CATOOSA, GEORGIA
From 12-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 13-DEC-10 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The Catoosa County 911 Center reported an average of 1/2 inch of snow across the county.

Winter Weather in WHITFIELD, GEORGIA
From 12-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 13-DEC-10 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The Whitfield County 911 Center reported mostly a dusting of snow across the county.

Winter Weather in GORDON, GEORGIA
From 12-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 13-DEC-10 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The Gordon County 911 Center reported mostly a dusting of snow across the county.

Winter Weather in MURRAY, GEORGIA
From 12-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 13-DEC-10 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The Murray County 911 Center reported mostly a dusting of snow across the county.

Heavy Snow in GILMER, GEORGIA
From 12-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 13-DEC-10 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

The Gilmer County Emergency Management Director reported generally 1.5 to 2.0 inches of snow across the county.  However, the higher elevations (above 2000 feet) in the northeast part of the county had received up to five inches of snow.

Winter Weather in PICKENS, GEORGIA
From 12-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 13-DEC-10 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The Pickens County 911 Center reported that snowfall of 1.0 to 1.5 inches was observed across much of the county.  The higher amounts were in the higher elevations across the north part of the county.

Winter Weather in DAWSON, GEORGIA
From 12-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 13-DEC-10 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The Dawson County 911 Center reported that snowfall ranged from 1/2 inch in the lower elevations to 2.0 inches in the higher elevations.

Winter Weather in FANNIN, GEORGIA
From 12-DEC-10 12:00:00 to 13-DEC-10 12:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The Fannin County 911 Center reported that snowfall ranged from one inch in the lower elevations to two inches in the higher elevations.