1. They let everyone out at the same time 2. 2" of snow turned into solid ice 3. No one I know, and I've been around a while, can navigate successfully on solid ice. Atlanta is a southern city that rarely gets storms of this magnitude. Last one in 2011. I know, I was snowed in for 8 days. Previous to 2011, the last big one I remember was a huge ice storm in 97 or 98. Now why would a southern city spend untold millions to stock sand, salt and snowplows if they're only going to be used once every 5-6 years?
“Now why would a southern city spend untold millions to stock sand, salt and snowplows”
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While my family was from Atlanta in the 30s, I grew up in Memphis, where we had a 14 inch snow in Dec. 63 and 17 inch in March of 68.
I remember hearing that the city had one snow plow, but sold it back in the 50s.
I also remember ice skating on city park ponds. The park service set up barrel fires along the banks to help us keep warm. The 1963 snow was accompanied by a MINUS 13 degrees.
My cold spells now are temps dipping into the 70s. It is now 78 outside at 7:30 AM, haha. I might have to put on a shirt.
I think GDOT and generally every one did a good job. People went to work KNOWING that snow was coming and that temperatures would be in the teens after sun down. The city had their deicing trucks out and working.
What people forget is that sanding and deicing have to happen at a specific time in the storm. Too soon and it is all gone by the time temps drop; too late and it is ineffective; PLUS there is always the case where the stuff works and then temps drop again really fast and refreeze.
You exactly right when speaking of plowing equipment and deicers. The state has quadrupled the number of plows and increased the deicing trucks as well. They even found a new brine solution that helps break up the ice on the road way better.
I think the state was as prepared as they could possibly be. I have seen empty street shots of NYC when they get hit with snow. Denver is notorious for housing the snowplows in a location that no one can get to if there is a storm.
Come on folks how unreasonable can one be?