ATLANTA — True Atlantans will forever remember the "Blizzard of 1993" (Even truer Atlantans will remember ‘Snowjam '82').
Whether you were a kid or an adult at the time, you remember the inches upon inches that was dumped in the state 25 years ago today, on March 13, 1993.
Where were you during the Blizzard of 1993? Share your memories below.
The blizzard paralyzed metro Atlanta and north Georgia for days, the heavy snowfall closing interstates from Atlanta northward.
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The storm itself was one of the most intense cold-season storms ever to strike the eastern United States. It impacted people from Alabama to Maine, with snow, high wind and freezing cold air.
In terms of human impact, the “Superstorm of 1993” was more significant than most landfalling hurricanes or tornado outbreaks and ranks among the deadliest and most costly weather events of the 20th century.
Channel 2 Action News covered the massive snowstorm as residents struggled with the “weather typical of Chicago.”
Wind chills reached -30 as the winds were sustained at 40+ mph on that Saturday. Hundreds of thousands of people lost power for days as trees crashed down – everywhere.
From Atlanta to Athens and everywhere south, there was recorded 3 to 9 inches of snow on that Saturday. The northern suburbs received 10 to 15 inches of snow. Areas in the north Georgia mountains had anywhere from 12 to 30 inches of snow.
The following Monday, hundreds if not thousands of drivers were still stranded on snow-packed I-75 through northwest Georgia. National Guardsmen in four-wheel-drive vehicles made their way up the interstate, handing out bags of fruit to stranded drivers.
Even with advance warning, Atlantans were still caught off guard, refusing to believe that snow and cold were coming when flowers were blooming and lawns were turning green.
The storm also had a much more serious impact: It left 15 people dead.
Where were you during the Blizzard of 1993? Share your memories and photos in the comments on of our Facebook post.
Snowfall records in Atlanta
The National Weather Service has listed the greatest snowfall amounts for their Atlanta reporting location at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport since 1949:
1) 7.9"......March 24, 1983
2) 5.8"......January 12-13, 1982 (Also known as "Snowjam '82')
3) 5.0"......January 18-19, 1992
4) 4.6"......January 2-3, 2002
5) 4.4"......February 17-18, 1979 (all sleet/ ice pellets)
6) 4.2"......March 13, 1993 ("Blizzard of '93")
7) 4.2"......January 7-8, 1988 (sleet/ ice)
8 4.0"......March 10, 1960
9) 3.9"......February 1952
10) 3.6"....January 21-22, 1987
Information from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was used in this report.