Teri Pope, the District One communications officer for the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT), informs us Frosty the Snowman is on his way out of Northeast Georgia on Tuesday, February 19, 2013.
Georgia DOT began plowing snow at 6 a.m. as Frosty visited Rabun County. By 7 a.m., snow spread to other Mountain Counties requiring Georgia DOT to plow snow in Towns, Union and White counties. Ten crews — 25 employees — continue to monitor conditions and scrape melting precipitation from our roadways and bridges.
The crews will continue monitoring road conditions and removing snow and slush as needed.
Georgia DOT Maintenance Engineer for Northeast Georgia Billy Cantrell says, “We’ve had no more snow fall since about 9 a.m. and that is great news. Temperatures are above freezing now and we are removing slush from roads and bridges as it melts. We will continue to monitor conditions through early afternoon until the threat of icy patches is completely over.”
Motorists are urged to:
- Slow down and stay behind the snowplows. The road behind the plow will be the safest place to drive. Allow at least ten car lengths between your vehicle and snowplows or hopper spreaders.
- Do not pass. The plows are wide and sometimes a group of trucks will work in tandem to clear snow quickly, especially on major highways.
- Be particularly aware of black ice conditions on surfaces such as bridge decks and entrance and exit ramps.
- Remember that technology helps, but only to a point. Four-wheel drive, anti-lock brakes and traction control are beneficial in today’s cars, trucks and SUVs, but they can’t take the place of good driving habits and the need to reduce speed on snowy or icy roads.
Georgia DOT urges travelers to exercise caution and call 511 for updated information on roadway conditions before getting on the road during a winter weather event. Georgia 511 is a free phone service that provides real-time traffic and travel information statewide, including winter weather closures, reports of icing or other hazardous conditions on interstates and state routes. Callers also can transfer to operators to request assistance or report incidents 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More information is available atwww.511ga.org. For more information on Georgia DOT, please visitwww.dot.ga.gov or subscribe to our Press ReleaseRSS feed. You also may follow us onFacebook (www.facebook.com/GeorgiaDOT)and Twitter (http://twitter.com/
