If I had a dollar every time someone called me the “weather guy” I’d be as rich as a weather guy. I understand the confusion. Whether in TV or radio, traffic and weather go hand-in-hand. Traffic reports generally either precede or come after the weather forecast. “Traffic and weather together” is a common phrase in the industry.
Luckily when someone mistakes me for a meteorologist and asks me what the weather is going to be like, I can usually answer them fairly accurately because I hear the forecast about 30 times a morning. The fact is, the weather forecast has a lot to do with my job. If there is rain or snow or ice predicted for the rush hour, my job and your commute will become a lot harder.
Often, the last thing I see before I go to sleep is the weather report during the 11 o’clock news. I like to go to bed knowing what the conditions will be like for the morning commute.
If it looks like it could be rough, I get up earlier and have an extra cup of coffee to make sure I am ready for what will probably be a very hectic morning.
We saw that during Thursday morning’s rush hour. A band of showers rolled through the metro area early in the morning and even though the skies were clear and the sun was out by 8 a.m., the rush hour was already toast.
Veteran Atlanta drivers know, when the weather is bad, adjustments need to be made for the commute. As a rule of thumb I offer these suggestions to drivers when the roads are slick:
-Watch your speed
-Allow yourself some extra time
-Give yourself extra space between your car and the car in front of you
My colleagues agree. “Slow down,” says Captain Herb Emory, traffic reporter for NewsTalk WSB and Channel 2 Action News. “It takes longer to stop or adjust in wet weather.”
Where you drive can also play a part in how your travels go in wet weather.
“Stay toward the middle lanes,” Captain Herb said. “Water tends to pool in the outside lanes. Try to avoid trucks. They can create a spray that reduces visibility.”
Fellow traffic reporter Doug Turnbull estimates that when it is raining during the rush hour, you can add about 25 percent to your trip time. Therefore, if it usually takes you 40 minutes to get to work in the morning, when it rains, plan on 50 minutes.
If I ever see you out around town, I’d be happy to discuss how to drive when conditions are ideal, but most likely you’ll just ask me about the weather.
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