Forecast issued Tuesday
WEDNESDAY — Chance of rain, snow and sleet before 1 p.m., then rain. High near 37. Northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT — Rain, snow, and sleet, becoming all snow after 11 p.m. Low around 31. Northeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent.
THURSDAY — A 30 percent chance of snow before 8 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 46. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon.
Another empty threat, or a repeat of Snowpocalyse past?
A wintry mix is in the forecast once again Wednesday. But, unlike recent predictions of storms, this one might not peter out, and it could hit the northern suburbs hardest right before rush hour.
“This is going to be another one of those situations where we’re sitting right on the fine line between a rain and snow mix and more of a snow situation,” said Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan.
Late Tuesday, it appeared that line was tilting toward snow, as the National Weather Service upgraded its winter storm watch to a warning that starts at 10 a.m. It’s the first time this year a winter storm warning has been issued as far south as Fulton County, though Channel 2 meteorologist Glenn Burns said it’s still a toss-up whether the city of Atlanta will be hit with snow or just rain.
The northern suburbs should expect the former, with up to 2 inches of snow possible while a line stretching from Rome and Gainesville could receive 4 inches. Up to 6 inches could fall in the higher elevations.
“Of all the events we have had thus far, this looks to be a larger one,” said Georgia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Natalie Dale.
GDOT is taking an aggressive approach pre-treating roads. Crews will have started spreading a brine solution on all the metro Atlanta interstates after midnight. And, starting at 7 a.m. Wednesday, trucks loaded with salt and gravel will take their positions at spots around the metro area.
Those interstate response teams will be treating bridges and overpasses, and regular travel lanes if necessary, Dale said.
Georgia Emergency Management Agency will once again deploy it’s “strike teams,” composed of state troopers and rangers, throughout affected areas to clear debris from fallen trees and power lines as well as assist stranded motorists.
GEMA started tweeting Tuesday afternoon under the hashtag #stayhomeatl, advising motorists in areas under winter weather advisories or freezing rain advisories not to risk driving Wednesday.
Tuesday evening, Gov. Nathan Deal ordered state government offices in the affected areas to close at noon Wednesday and declared a state of emergency for disaster preparedness starting at 2 p.m.
Storm planners hope to avoid last year’s so-called Snowpocalyse, when commuters trying to beat the snow and ice that started falling just before lunchtime got caught in a epic traffic jam that left thousands stranded on metro highways and surface streets through the following morning.
Metro Atlanta received around three inches of snow, but it might as well have been a blizzard.
Many local school districts, meanwhile, decided to close.
Gwinnett waited until nearly 11 p.m. to announce it would close Wednesday, giving it a chance to base its decision on the latest forecast.
“Most times, we wait until the morning, because you know how it is in Atlanta. Something may be forecast, but what happens may be different,” Sloan Roach, a spokeswoman for Gwinnett County Schools, said Tuesday evening.
“It is a disruption to families and jobs and other things, we understand,” she said.
Case in point: Tuesday in Cobb County, where officials first decided to hold a regular school day, then to delay opening for two hours because of the weather, then announced just before 9 a.m. they were canceling classes because of slick roads.
Buses had already picked up some magnet school students and some early boarding elementary students when the school system began notifying those parents their kids were on the way back.
“It was brutal for special needs kids who can’t handle change,” said Tovah Martin, who has two children, including one with special needs, attending Cobb schools. “My youngest son had major meltdowns all morning. My son needs structure, and if there is going to be a change we have to prepare him.”
Students are in no danger yet of having to make up days during spring break or at the end of the school year. The systems build a certain number of days in to absorb some of the losses from bad weather.
Wednesday is one of those days.
About the Author
