MACON, Ga. — 1886 was the year when conditions in Central Georgia were so cold that the Ocmulgee River froze in downtown Macon.
Newspapers at the time described the stream as "a white streak winding its way through the serpentine way through the woods until it looked like a white milestone in the distance."
Weather records were not yet kept in Macon in 1886, so meteorologists do not have exact temperatures that led to the conditions. However, records were kept in Atlanta, just north of Macon.
The following temperatures were recorded in Atlanta.
- Jan. 9, 1886 - High 15°, Low 1°
- Jan. 10, 1886 - High 18°, Low 1°
- Jan. 11, 1886 - High 12°, Low 0°
- Jan. 12, 1886 - High 25°, Low 2°
- Jan. 13, 1886 - High 37°, Low 12°
- Jan. 14, 1886 - High 37°, Low 18°
The pictures you see are from January 14.
This is the only time on record that the Ocmulgee River froze in downtown Macon.
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