Atlanta's Icebound Survival Guide

2,200 flights grounded at Hartsfield-Jackson

No one at the airport can recall a time when so many flights were canceled in such short order. Only about 300 planes were expected in or out on Wednesday, but hundreds of airport staff were staying in the terminal Tuesday night on cots or air mattresses. Tips for fliers:

• Check with airline for the status of your flight before heading to the airport. Check it again after you get to the airport. It may be canceled after your arrive.
• Delta's phone lines have had long waits. Try using the airline's website, mobile app or @DeltaAssist on Twitter.
• Be prepared for long lines and waits. Get to the airport at least two hours before your flight. (Consider taking MARTA, if the trains are running: see below)
• Bring an empty water bottle to the airport to use at water refilling stations at Hartsfield-Jackson

MARTA: No buses, trains on weekend schedule

MARTA announced Tuesday that it will have no buses on the road Wednesday. Trains were supposed to run on weekend schedules, with the first ones cranking up at 4:35 a.m. MARTA notes that the train schedules are subject to change "depending on prevailing conditions."

DOT to truckers: Stay out of Atlanta. As for the rest of us . . .

Truck traffic, some of it illegal inside I-285, did a number on the Downtown Connector during the last storm, and the Department of Transportation tried Tuesday to make sure that doesn’t happen again. On Monday, the DOT warned through trucks not to venture inside the Perimeter. By Tuesday, truckers were being told to avoid metro Atlanta altogether.

If you’re not a trucker, it’s still a good idea to stay off the roads. If you just can’t:

• Slow down. The posted speed limit is for driving on dry pavement. Keep three seconds or more between you and the vehicle in front of you.
• Even 4-wheel drive vehicles will have difficulty on icy roads. Try to avoid overpasses and bridges.
• Let someone know your timetable and your primary and alternate travel routes.
• Keep your gas tank near full to prevent ice from forming in the fuel lines.
• Make sure your cell phone is fully charged.
• If your rear wheels skid, steer where you want to go. If the front wheels skid, steer straight until you regain control. Take your foot off the gas in either case.
• Carry a flashlight, first-aid kit, water, blanket, wool cap, gloves, ice scraper, non perishable food and cat litter or sand to provide some traction on ice.

FOR THE ICEBOUND AND WEARY

When will this be over, please?

Forecasters at Channel 2 Action News warn that we’re in for up to 36 hours of subfreezing temps, beginning about 5 a.m. Wednesday. The thermometer should finally head above 32 on Thursday afternoon. As WSB News/Talk 750's Mark Arum put it early Wednesday, "Where you are right now is where you’re going to be tomorrow morning, there’s no doubt about it.”

The progression: Rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow

The kind of precipitation we receive depends on the temperature of the air from the ground up to about 20,000 feet. It gets colder as you go higher, usually, but sometimes a layer of warmer air gets trapped between ground and clouds, producing a melting/freezing effect as the precipitation falls.

• Rain: Frozen precipitation melts in the air and reaches the ground as rain.
• Freezing rain: Precipitation melts and falls as rain and then freezes on cold surfaces.
• Sleet: Melts in warm air and then refreezes before reaching the surface.
• Snow: Falls through cold air and reaches the surface.

Sources: WSB, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

FOR ICEBOUND HOMEOWNERS

What if the lights go out?

Gov. Nathan Deal said Tuesday, “If you lose power, make the best of it. Read a book.” This is inviting, but you’ll want to do a few other things, too. When it comes to preserving food:

• Before you lose power, freeze containers of water for ice to help keep food cold in the freezer, refrigerator, or coolers in case the power does go out. If your normal water supply is contaminated or unavailable, the melting ice may also supply drinking water.
• Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerated food cold if the power will be out for more than four hours.
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if it is unopened.
• As usual, thoroughly cook meat, fish, poultry and eggs to kill foodborne bacteria. If at any point the food was above 40 degrees for two hours or more, discard it.

For your critters

If it’s too cold for you, it’s too cold for your dog. But if you can’t keep your pets indoors during the deep freeze:

• Dogs should have a doghouse that's elevated a few inches and has cedar shavings, straw or a blanket to trap body heat.
• Some animals can safely remain outside longer in the winter than others. Long-haired breeds like huskies do better in cold weather than short-haired breeds. Certain health problems – diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, to name a few – can compromise your pet's ability to regulate body heat.
• Consider dog sweaters during walks. 

For your trees

Young trees: Your first reaction may be to go out and knock the ice off the branches. Not necessarily a good idea. Best to just let the ice melt and allow the tree to resume its natural shape; otherwise you can damage the tree. Also, de-icing salts are toxic to plants, so you don't want to spray them on your trees. And if you're tempted to try to melt the ice with a blow-torch, well, don't be tempted. Your tree will thank you in the spring.

After the thaw: If the tree is broken near the base or has lost more than a third of its limbs, it may be best to give up and replace that tree. Otherwise, careful pruning -- trim the broken branch off at the trunk -- can help restore the tree's health.

Mature trees: Use extreme care. If the tree is down, cutting a branch that's pinned beneath the tree can cause a "spring pole" effect, wherein the branch zooms back to its original position and may strike you or your saw as it goes. Downed trees may also roll onto you when you free a broken branch.

Sources: Georgia Emergency Management Agency, South Dakota State University (trees)

FOR ICEBOUND TALKERS

Cell faltering? Text, don't call

In the last storm, everybody in Atlanta tried to call everybody else in Atlanta, and the cellular system faltered. This time around, service outages are a possibility, depending on the severity of the storm. Some things to remember:

• The old "fast busy" signal indicates that the network is too congested. If you hear it, end the call and try again in a few seconds.
• Texting is a good alternative to calling. A text message may move more quickly than a voice call, and it chews up less battery time on your phone.
• Limit your calls to the most important ones, which will save battery life and put less strain on the network.
• Turn off the vibrate function, which uses more power, and avoid other extra features such as the Internet, WiFi, GPS and camera.