CORDELE, Ga. (WALB) — A rare winter surprise swept through South Georgia Sunday, Jan. 18, as snowfall blanketed several communities, drawing families to Turner Park in Cordele where more than two inches of snow turned the area into a winter playground.

Many places across South Georgia experienced snowfall for the first time since January 2025. At Turner Park in Cordele, families experienced up to 2.5 inches of snow.

|FIRST ALERT WEATHER: Great melt underway as the rare SGA snow ends|

Ryan Heyne, a snowman building expert, said the timing worked out perfectly for his family.

“Oh, it’s great. Their reaction this morning when we woke up. It all timed out perfectly. Started snowing about 8—8:15, and we’re just going to soak it up. Enjoy it,” Heyne said. “It’s awesome. First time we’ve seen snowfall, so it’s good. Great little community. It’s great. They’ve been wanting to see snow, and we hardly ever get to see it. We love going to the mountains for it, but now we could just drive an hour and a half, and here we are.”

Families made snowmen, snow angels and had snowball fights. Some people traveled from Florida to see the snow because it could be years before they get another chance.

Mike Ferguson, who has never seen snow like this before, drove from central Florida with his family.

“Pretty amazing. First time for the little one. First time for my wife’s sister. We’re from Florida, so we took the drive and wanted to check out the snow,” Ferguson said. “We actually left our house in central Florida before 3 a.m. this morning and drove about four and a half hours to experience this. It’s my youngest daughter’s first time, so it’s pretty neat. It’s my first time throwing snowballs at someone.”

Children playing in the snow said they were surprised by the experience.

“I think it’s really cool. I’m just, like, surprised. Feels good. It feels cool to touch it. It feels cool. I’ve never seen the snow before,” said Addison, who was experiencing snow for the first time.

The rare snowstorm turned parts of South Georgia into a winter wonderland, allowing families to experience snow together for the first time.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.