The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Snow, sleet, freezing rain forecast Monday
Winter storm watch issued; commute could be affected.
Another Snowmageddon?
Probably not, but weather forecasters say much of metro Atlanta and north Georgia could see this winter’s first snow and sleet — and maybe even a little freezing rain — just in time for the Monday morning commute.
The predicted accumulations — maybe 2 inches of snow and sleet, no more than a quarter-inch of ice — don’t seem to portend the kind of storm that crippled the Atlanta area in January 2014, trapping drivers overnight on roads littered with abandoned cars, stranding thousands of children in their schools, and turning the region into a national laughingstock for its lack of winter-weather preparation.
Still, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch Saturday, urging Georgians to stock up on non-perishable foods and to rethink travel plans.
“Urging” might be an understatement. The weather service ended its alert with an apocalyptic all-caps declaration: “NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE FOR THIS WINTER STORM. ... DO NOT WAIT FOR THE WARNING!”
If the tone seems overly dramatic, especially as parts of New England are measuring their snowfall by the foot, remember the unrelenting gridlock that shut down metro Atlanta’s interstates, surface streets and even public transportation last year following a mere 3 inches of ice and snow.
This time, state officials say they won’t take the forecast for granted.
“We are preparing,” Gov. Nathan Deal said Saturday on Twitter. He offered no specifics, but surely hopes to avoid the widespread criticism he attracted after last year’s storm. His delay in declaring a state of emergency and his suggestion that the widely predicted storm was “unexpected” became issues in his re-election campaign last year.
The Georgia Department of Transportation, which last year blamed stranded drivers for being in the way of road-clearing efforts, says it is ready to deal with this storm. Trucks will spray a brine solution on major interstates, just in case.
“We will get all lanes, so it won’t just be bridges and overpasses,” DOT spokeswoman Natalie Dale told Channel 2 Action News.
Although Saturday was mild and sunny, Channel 2 meteorologist Katie Walls predicted a drastic change overnight. Residents across north Geor- gia will experience “widespread teens and upper 20s” on Sunday, she said, with sub-zero wind chills.
Forecasters said snow is likely to begin Monday morning, turning into a mix of sleet and snow by the evening. A brief period of freezing rain is expected Monday night.
Slightly warmer temperatures on Tuesday should mean all precipitation will be in the form of rain. But forecasters say light snow could spread across the region Tuesday evening as the storm system moves on.
Monday’s lows should be in the low 20s, with highs only in the mid-30s. Temperatures could drop to near-freezing by Tuesday morning, with highs forecast in the upper 30s and low 40s.
Luckily, Monday is Presidents Day, and many workers — those at federal agencies and at banks, for instance — will have the day off. Most public schools around Atlanta also are closed. Cobb County was scheduled to have classes but announced late Saturday that schools will be closed Monday in anticipation of the nearing storm.