The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Preparation, not panic, as 1st dose of winter nears
Forecast calls for wintry weather until mid-afternoon today.
Ever since the infamous Snowpocalypse of 2014, which stranded thousands across metro Atlanta, local officials have been wary of waiting too long to send people home and cancel school.
On the other hand, they have been pilloried for shutting down ahead of storms that never arrive.
Thursday, with a threat of snow looming, officials tried to strike that careful balance of preparing without overreacting.
Channel 2 Action News’ Glenn Burns said area residents could expect rain after midnight Thursday. Precipitation could turn to a wintry mix of snow and rain by 4 a.m. today and stretch for 30 to 40 miles on either side of I-85. The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for metro Atlanta and North Georgia beginning at 5 a.m. this morning.
“I expect the rain/snow to continue until mid-afternoon (today) before changing to all rain and ending,” he wrote.
He said snow or rain could accumulate up to an inch, but would likely melt on impact with temperatures expected to remain above freezing until early Saturday morning.
Most of metro Atlanta appeared to be taking a “wait and see” approach.
Several counties and cities around the region pretreated bridges and some roads with brine, a salt water mix that helps prevent ice from forming.
Others prepared brine, sand, salt and plows to have on standby in case of snow.
“Once they started using the s-word, it put us on alert,” said Sandy Springs spokesperson Sharon Kraun.
Kraun said black ice is the biggest threat, and transportation department crews were ready to hit known trouble spots “if the need arises.”
“Most of it is waiting and waiting,” she said. “It’s being prepared so if you have a problem, you can take care of it quickly.”
The city of Lawrenceville canceled its Hometown Christmas Parade, originally scheduled for tonight, citing the threat of inclement weather.
None of the school systems or local governments contacted by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution had announced cancellations Thursday afternoon.
An official from the Atlanta public school system told Channel 2 that schools would remain open today.
School districts consult with emergency services and transportation departments when weighing the decision to delay or cancel.
Delta Air Lines announced it would waive certain change fees for travelers scheduled to fly to, from or through Atlanta today. The airline is also advising travelers to check their flight status frequently and sign up for mobile or e-mail flight notifications. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport spokesman Reese McCranie said the airport doesn’t anticipate mass flight cancellations.
The Georgia High School Association late Thursday was considering whether to postpone today’s and/or Saturday’s football championship games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, possibly moving them to next weekend.