We approach the ten-year anniversary of one of the most epic traffic debacles in Atlanta history. January 2014′s “Snowmaggedon” flash-froze Atlanta traffic. People treated that Tuesday, January 28th, just like any other day, and the winter weather forecast changed in the early morning hours. Untreated roads ensnared thousands of desperate commuters from work and school that fateful midday.
The sting from that horrid few days influences policy now, whether we realize it or not.
After complacency begat misery a decade ago, North Georgians have treated any remote threat of winter weather as a caution to stay home. And rightfully so. There have been many closures since that fateful storm; only a few have ended up warranting such caution. But being overly careful is a cheaper cost than not being prudent enough.
Two recent forecasts brought such actions from local school systems. The severe weather forecast for Friday, January 12th, called for strong storms in North Georgia, high winds, and potential tornadic activity in the southern suburbs.
Clayton, Coweta, and Spalding county schools announced closures the day before. Fayette and Meriwether counties had remote-learning days. Newton County schools released early. Henry County closed its government offices. Several counties held classes but canceled after-school activities.
Winter weather was not the threat, but the timing of the severe weather coincided with the latter half of the school day and those school systems did not want to release children into dangerous conditions.
All of the prep ended up looking silly, as the temperatures stayed too low for the weather to live up to the forecast. There was rain and wind, but nothing was severe.
The following Tuesday, January 16th, saw a Winter Weather Advisory for a large swath of North Georgia, the breadth of which began to expand Monday. As the threat for a small wintry mix spread from just the counties of the far northwest metro area to most of the Atlanta market, many schools announced that their three-day weekends would add a day.
These decisions were made based on a worst-case scenario. If the forecast lived up to its highest potential — if the bitter cold arrived at the edge of the rainy line — then the roads would indeed be slick. Or the temperature plunge would freeze the pools of water on the roads after the rain stopped. In either the case, the streets, even if pre-treated, would be dangerous for the masses to travel.
As it turned out, the temperatures took their dive after the rain stopped and the howling winds dried the roads. There were traces of ice, but nothing widespread. The schools again seemingly closed largely for no reason. Kids did not go outside to make rain angels or sled down the muddy grass.
With two false alarms in five days, people reasonably mocked the cautiousness of the various county governments and the general overreaction of the Atlanta populace. But caution was warranted. We have recent memories of the forecast living to its worst potential and our preparations not matching that. If the Snowmaggedon debacle can be avoided, it certainly should be.
In fact, local governments and employers missed another key opportunity just before all of this. On January 9th, large amounts of heavy rain pummeled that Tuesday morning commute. There was flooding and some roads closed. There were spinout crashes galore. It was an absolutely dreadful and dangerous commute, not to mention a long one. Weather forecasts predicted the melee to a tee, yet life went on like normal.
The pandemic brought innovations in remote learning and working. Employers and schools alike should deploy those options more often than they do, especially when major weather events — snow or not — could prove dangerous for their flocks. Stories of “walking uphill in the snow, seven miles in each direction” are fun, but they do not need to happen these days. Not when many of our duties on campus can be done at home and not when we prove again and again that any change in conditions can create a lot of traffic drama.
Atlanta districts made the right call both times recently to go ahead and cancel class, due to weather. And they should have done it a third time.
Doug Turnbull, the PM drive Skycopter anchor for Triple Team Traffic on 95.5 WSB, is the Gridlock Guy. Download the Triple Team Traffic Alerts App to hear reports from the WSB Traffic Team automatically when you drive near trouble spots. Contact him at Doug.Turnbull@cmg.com.
