Flashback Fotos: A brief history of Georgia deep freezes

Things to Do

Flashback photos: A brief history of Georgia deep freezes

Sure, it's beginning to look like snow, but this isn't the first time we've had to deal with frigid precipitation and cold in Georgia. Remember the icepocalypse of 2011? How about the Blizzard of 1993? Then there was the 1908 ice storm that devastated Gainesville. Take a chilly trip back in time with our cool gallery.

Sledders enjoying the snow in Piedmont Park during the 1993 blizzard, Atlanta, Georgia, March 1993. Photo: Joey Ivansco

Women bundled up during the 1993 blizzard, Atlanta, Georgia, March 1993. Photo: Joey Ivansco

A photo from the blizzard of 1993 shows Good Samaritans lending a hand to a stuck motorist at the intersection of Cheshire Bridge Road and Lenox Road.

Sledders enjoying the snow in Piedmont Park during the 1993 blizzard, Atlanta, Georgia, March 1993. Photo: Joey Ivansco

This file photo from March 13, 1993, shows good Samaritans lending a hand to a stuck motorist at Cheshire Bridge Road and Lenox Road.

From the inscription: "Gainesville, winter 1909. Men standing beside a streetcar on North Green Street during an ice storm. This enclosed winter car ran from the Southern Railway depot at the end of Main Street to Chattahoochee Park at the end of Riverside Drive. Streetcars pulled by horses first made their appearance in Gainesville in 1874. Dr. Robert E. Green was the proprietor of this enterprise. The tracks ran from the Southern Railway depot on Main Street to the public square. The first streetcars to run on electric rails were seen in 1903. Over the years the lines were expanded. In 1928 some of the tracks in the business district were taken up. During World War II the rest of them were removed so that the materials could be used in the war effort." However, this photograph is almost certainly from January 31, 1908. Two ice storms devastated Gainesville one week apart, one on January 31 and the other on February 9/10, 1908. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Archives at Georgia State University

This is probably a view of the damage caused in Gainesville, Georgia, on January 31 or February 9-10, 1908, when two ice storms devastated the city, felling trees and utility wires. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Archives at Georgia State University

A runner who had no time to give her name to a photographer runs past the temperature sign at 1801 Peachtree Road in Atlanta Tuesday Dec. 14, 2010 as the sign says it all. Photo: John Spink

Flowers surrounding a nearby fountain are encapsulated in a frozen bubble of ice in front of the nearby classic architecture of the First Church of Christ, Scientist (background) at 15th and Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta Monday, Dec. 13, 2010 in 20 degree weather that had a wind chill in the single digits. Across the Atlanta metro area winds, gusting to more than 30 mph, blew a few trees onto power lines, leaving more than 2,000 metro homes without electricity as temperatures plummeted into the low 20s. Photo: John Spink

Truckers are at a standstill near Clark Howell Highway. The eastern stretch of I-285 south of the airport did not move Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011 between most of I-85 and I-75 and hasn’t since early Monday morning where truckers and vehicles were locked on a sheet of ice. Photo: John Spink

Caption on the back of the print reads "The biggest snow in Atlanta's history -- 8.3 inches -- fell on January 23, 1940. The city was almost paralyzed. One telegraph messenger solved his problem by coming to work on skis." Verso inscribed "Postal put boys on skis." Date-stamped "Jan 26 1940." From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Archives at Georgia State University

A DOT sign on I-85 southbound advises Atlanta motorists of the dangerous winter conditions on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011. A third day of snow and ice has led to dangerous conditions on area roads. Photo: Hyosub Shin

Matt Lindner, manager of the Taco Bell near the intersection of Johnson's Ferry and Lower Roswell roads in Cobb, shovels ice and slush off the parking lot Tuesday, Jan. 11, hoping to be able to open from noon to five. Two employees showed up for their shifts, one walking there. "Businesswise, it's a curse," he said of the storm. "It's affecting a lot of people's business, and their money." John Edwards jedwards@ajc.com

A normally crowded I-285 is empty of traffic Tuesday morning during rush hour Jan 11, 2011. Snow and ice covers the metro area on Tuesday as business, schools and governments remained closed for the second day after a winter storm brought snow and freezing precipitation to the area late Sunday and early Monday. Photo: Kent D. Johnson

Cars pass abandoned vehicles on a hill East of Martin's Landing drive on Holcomb Bridge road in Roswell on Tuesday, January 11. At least ten cars were parked on either side of the road. Snow & ice made going up hill difficult. Photo: Phil Skinner

The exit to the Southbound connector from Freedom Parkway remained iced over Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011 after another overnight hard freeze. State transportation crews cleared large stretches of the interstates and highways Tuesday, especially along the southern Perimeter.Photo: John Spink

Kennesaw Battlefield Park is a blanket of white. This park was accessible, but Kennesaw Mountain park remained closed. While some of the main roads are drivable, the overnight low temperatures led to dangerous icy conditions on many roads. Wed, Jan. 12, 2011. Photo: Bob Andres

Church Street in downtown Decatur remained covered in snow and ice and largely deserted Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011. Photo: Bita Honarvar

Eastbound I-285 traffic in College Park came to a standstill from the runway underpass to I-75 for hours as ice and snow played havoc on the traffic all over the Metro area Monday, Jan. 10, 2011. Photo: John Spink

Commuters had to carefully navigate through icy waters at the corner of Boulevard and Memorial Drive Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at daybreak where a water main had broken. Temperatures dropped into the teens early Tuesday for the second straight day and the frigid weather led to icy patches across metro Atlanta and resulted in the closure of an east Atlanta thoroughfare after a broken fire hydrant spilled water for a couple hours. Photo: John Spink, jspink@ajc.com

Several days of frigid cold temperatures form a frozen water fountain at the home of Bud Norman along the 200 block of South Peachtree Street in Norcross Thursday, January 7, 2010. "I haven't seen the (fountain) this frozen in years," Norman said. "I've got two koi fishes underneath." Photo: Vino Wong

1/21

Sledders enjoying the snow in Piedmont Park during the 1993 blizzard, Atlanta, Georgia, March 1993. Photo: Joey Ivansco

Today's Gallery Headlines

Centennial Yards tour

PHOTOS: Centennial Yards transformation continues

New Falcons president of football Matt Ryan

PHOTOS: Matt Ryan introduced as Falcons President of Football

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr (right) confers with state Sen. RaShaun Kemp, D-Atlanta, at the Wild Hog supper, the traditional kickoff to the legislative session in Atlanta, on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

PHOTOS: Georgia legislative session kicks off with Wild Hog Supper

People join in a chant on the 17th Street Bridge in Atlanta on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, while protesting the ICE shooting of Renee Good and the U.S. military action in Venezuela. (Ben Gray for the AJC)

PHOTOS: Atlanta demonstrators join ICE protests across the nation

More Galleries

the weeknd

PHOTOS: The Weeknd electrifies the crowd at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz stadium

PHOTOS: Beyonce fans saddle up for 4-day Atlanta Cowboy Carter Tour stop

PHOTOS: Beyoncé fans arrive for 4-night Atlanta Cowboy Carter Tour stop

College Park Juneteenth Parade standalone photo

PHOTOS: Juneteenth Parade held in College Park

4th Annual Rick Ross Car Show

PHOTOS: Rapper Rick Ross holds 4th annual car show in Fayetteville