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December 7-9, 2017 Southeastern Winter Storm

The December 7-9, 2017 Southeastern Winter Storm (also known as Winter Storm Benji, the Early December 2017 Southeast Snowstorm, or the 2017 Gulf Coast Snow Event) was an unusually early and rare winter weather outbreak that brought accumulating snowfall to parts of the Deep South and Southeast U.S., including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and extending into the Carolinas and beyond. The heaviest impacts occurred December 8-9, 2017, with a narrow but intense band of heavy snow from central Alabama through northern Georgia and western North Carolina. This event produced record or near-record December snowfall in many locations, including rare measurable snow as far south as South Texas and the Florida Panhandle. It caused widespread travel chaos, power outages, and was part of a broader complex storm system that later brought snow to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. NWS Storm Summary

Meteorological Setup

The storm originated from a complex pattern: an initial disturbance over the extreme southern U.S. from a stationary front left by a departing extratropical cyclone on December 7, combined with a deep Arctic cold air mass plunging into the Deep South. A large plume of Gulf moisture interacted with this cold air, leading to overrunning precipitation. A low-pressure system formed in the Gulf of Mexico and tracked northeastward, with a zone of intense frontogenesis north of the low producing a narrow, heavy snow band parallel to its path from east-central Alabama through northern Georgia to western North Carolina. The low reached the Big Bend/western Florida area before a secondary low developed off the Carolina coast on December 9, extending snow farther north/east. The setup featured high snowfall ratios in the cold air, with some thundersnow in bands due to instability, and rapid transitions to sleet/ice near the Gulf.

Impacts

The heavy, wet snow (with some thundersnow) and cold caused significant disruptions in the unprepared South:

Snowfall Amounts and Distribution

Snow began in the afternoon of February 12 in many areas, peaking evening/overnight, with heaviest in a focused band from southern Alabama through central Georgia. Accumulations were significant for the Deep South:

Many December records were set or tied, with the event's southern extent extraordinarily rare.

Temperature Records

The storm was fueled by a strong Arctic outbreak, with temperatures plunging into the 20s-30s°F during snowfall (colder in north). Pre-storm warmth (e.g., Brownsville, TX near 90°F days earlier) contrasted sharply with the cold plunge. Lows dipped into the teens/single digits in places post-storm, preserving snow and causing icing. No widespread all-time December lows, but the cold supported efficient snow and rare southern accumulations.

Transportation

Major gridlock and closures (e.g., Atlanta airport: nearly 1,600 cancellations, 930 delays, over 600 Delta flights canceled); highways impassable in north Georgia; schools /businesses /government offices closed across affected states.

Utilities and Infrastructure

Widespread power outages (over 325,000 in northern Georgia, including 30,000+ in Atlanta metro; 660 in Greenville, SC area); downed lines from snow/ice weight.

Human Toll

At least one death (electrocution from downed power line in Georgia); hypothermia cases; broader winter impacts.

Economic

Commerce/agriculture disrupted; property damage from outages/accidents; emergency shelters opened (e.g., in Atlanta).

Other Disruptions

Daily life halted; rare snow scenes in Gulf areas; overwhelmed services in Deep South.

Notes of Interest

Bottom line:This was a remarkable early-winter surprise for the Southeast



December 7-9 Snow

Fig.1 - December 7-9 Snow - Issued by NWS Atlanta

December 7-9 Snow

Fig.2 - December 7-9 Snow - Issued by NWS Atlanta