Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Winter Storm Warning Until 1PM today

Latest updates @ 9:45am via Facebook:
TG: drove my wife to work at DeKalb Medical from Joiner Court, up Woodtrail Lane, then up Medlock to North Decatur Road. Looks like North Decatur was salted. Nice and grippy. The rest was icy but passable. 
MS: Desmond is drivable from Clairmont to Gaylemont - downtown Decatur is okay too. Up the hill on Clairmont at the VA is NOT okay.
via http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ffc/.  Click to enlarge.
The AJC and CNN are reporting on how so many people have been stuck overnight due to crowded road conditions, accidents and overall gridlock resulting from yesterday's snows.  Many neighbors had long commutes yesterday, but overall, our side of town has fared better than most. As for today, neighborhood streets are navigable and traffic is very light, but there are a lot of icy spots and those who had to head out recommend avoiding the roads if possible. With a current temperature of 13F and an expected high of 33F, it's likely more ice will develop.  Tonight's low is expected to be 18F but Thursday should bring a high of 42F.

AJC: Gridlock continues as unspeakably horrible commute home stretches into hour 18

CNN: Stranded, cold motorists spend nights on freeways after rare snow in South

Facebook:  users are communicating with one another and sharing updates via SnowedOutAtlanta. Lots of stories about folks opening up their homes to strangers, Kroger bringing food to kids stranded in school buses, etc.

For a map showing road conditions, visit GA DOT at http://www.511ga.org/. In the neighborhood, drivers are reporting icy spots so please drive only if you have to, and proceed with caution. Some nearby views below, courtesy of GA DOT cameras:
US78 E at Lawrenceville Hwy. 
US78 E at North Druid Hills Rd.
The following Winter Storm Warning for DeKalb continues until 1pm today (and apologies, for the National Weather Service speaks in ALL CAPS):

Winter Storm Warning for De Kalb, GA

... WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON...
* LOCATIONS... NORTHERN GEORGIA.
* HAZARD TYPES... CONTINUED HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS DUE TO SNOW AND ICE COVERED ROADS.
* ACCUMULATIONS... NO ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS.
* TIMING... NOW THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.
* IMPACTS... SNOW AND ICE COVERED ROADWAYS WILL MAKE TRAVEL EXTREMELY TREACHEROUS. NUMEROUS VEHICLE ACCIDENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPORTED ACROSS NORTHERN GEORGIA. STAY OFF THE ROADWAYS IF POSSIBLE.
* TEMPERATURES... LOWER 20S INCREASING TO LOWER 30S.
* WIND CHILL VALUES... WITH WINDS OF 5 TO 15 MPH OVERNIGHT... WIND CHILLS WILL BE BETWEEN 5 TO 10 DEGREES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR CONTINUED SNOW AND ICE COVERED ROADS MEANS THAT TRAVEL WILL CONTINUE TO BE DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL... KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT... FOOD... AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.