Atlanta and North Georgia expected an inch of pretty, fluffy snow to fall today. Not enough to make a decent snowman. South Georgia was expected to get whacked with snow that only comes once in a generation.
Wrong.
By 6 PM, Governor Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency. Children in Atlanta, including my precious granddaughter, are spending the night at school — unable to get home. Freeways are slammed. Cars, which ran out of gas, have been abandoned on area freeways.
Total snowfalls amounts as of 6:30 PM range from less than an inch to three inches.
Water on area highways will freeze overnight. The roads, even without additional snowfall, are going to be icy death traps.
Spring is 50 days away and Saturday’s high temperature will be in the low 60s, but that won’t help much overnight.
Georgia DOT urges motorists to stay off the roadways. Hazardous driving conditions are spreading throughout northeast Georgia. Department of Transportation crews are active throughout affected areas but Georgia DOT is urging motorists to stay off of highways as conditions are likely to continue to deteriorate overnight.
The DOT advises the public to refrain from all but such absolutely necessary travel until midday Wednesday at the earliest.
Crews are working throughout Northeast Georgia. These following locations are hazardous. Icing has been reported and crews are working in these counties:
- Gwinnett – SR 141 SB at Holcomb Bridge icing
- Hall I-985 and SR 365 icing on bridges and higher elevations
- Dawson SR 136 and SR 53
- Habersham SR 15/US 441, SR 105, SR 17
- Lumpkin SR 9 and SR 60
- White SR 11, SR 115, SR 75, SR 356
- Rabun, Towns and Union SR 2/US 76
Driving Tips
- Check weather conditions before you leaving Friday morning and stay off the roads unless it is an emergency if conditions warrant in the Northeast Georgia Mountains. Choose caution and stay where you are instead of driving in hazardous winter weather conditions.
- 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 late tomorrow night and the early hours of Friday morning.
- Remember that technology helps, but only to a point. Four-wheel drive, anti-lock brakes and traction control are beneficial advancements 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 at www.511ga.org.
