Are you ready to get your freak on?
Nope. Sorry. That’s the wrong battle cry.
Are you ready to get your freak-out on? That’s the one.
Weather forecasters are calling for a bit of snow in Atlanta (and a bit more than a bit in northern Georgia) starting Friday and going into Saturday.
“Expect significant accumulations of snow, sleet and freezing rain that will lead to hazardous travel conditions,” the National Weather Service warned. As of Wednesday, that meant a couple of inches north of Interstate 20. North Georgia is expected to see about 4 inches of flakes. Some schools announced closures as early as Wednesday, and Delta said travelers could change their flights without penalty.
Atlantans are freaking out. Mostly because they don’t know how to drive in snow.
As Brian Broadus wrote on BlueSky, “Merely whispering the words ‘frozen precipitation’ gridlocks the town for a day.”
Many Atlanta transplants think Atlantans don’t know how to drive in any weather. I’ve been tooling along Interstate 285 at, uh, the speed limit, of course, and nearly been blown sideways by the drag force of a 20-year-old sports car weaving and passing at warp speed. Every time I visit my sister in Paulding County, I have to decide between fast and fearful. Do I risk my life on the Perimeter and get to her house in 45 minutes, or do I take back roads and get there in two days? I always choose 285, because I’m impatient, but I also always heave a huge sigh of relief as I unclench my white-knuckle grip from the steering wheel once safely parked.
So, I’m not sorry for already being worried about what a couple of inches of snow and ice is going to do. But we can get through this together.
I’m no expert on driving in snow. I grew up in the St. Louis area and moved here in March after spending almost a dozen years in Washington, D.C. Neither place is a winter wonderland as far as snow goes, especially in the past few decades. And everyone in those cities also complains that no one knows how to drive in snow. I once got pulled over on Highway 40 in St. Louis going about 50 in a 60 mph zone about an hour into a winter weather event. The officer said there were three cars, and one of us was speeding. “Wasn’t me,” I told him. “I’m scared of driving in snow.” Yes. I’m part of the problem. He let me go.
The city of Atlanta is preparing now. Many main roads and highways will be treated with salt or brine, focusing first on routes to hospitals and police stations.
But there are a few common sense things we can all do.
Drive slowly. Not Atlanta slow. Actual slow. That means under the speed limit, not just under the speed of sound. Brake early. Cars take longer to stop on slick surfaces, so tailgating and jamming your brakes at the last second won’t cut it. It will cut you right into the ditch or the car in front or next to you.
And, especially early in the storm and after, watch for black ice. Water that freezes on the roadways can be very hard to see. You can be hydroplaning into a guardrail before you even realize the road is icy. Body shops might like that, but you and your wallet won’t. Be especially careful on bridges and overpasses.
Give yourself a lot of extra time to get where you’re going. If your 12-mile trek down I-75 usually takes 20 minutes, plan for it to take two hours. In the 2010 Atlanta snowstorm, drivers were stranded on highways for hours. So, if you have to go out — and I mean have to — equip your car with a blanket or two, a snow shovel, kitty litter for traction in case you get stuck, a flashlight, snacks and extra water. And charge your phone. Maybe carry a fully charged backup battery.
And turn your headlights on, no matter what time of day it is. It helps you see, and it helps other drivers see you.
The best tip, though, is not to go out at all. That purse at TJ Maxx that your favorite influencer is hawking will still be there on Sunday. The crab cakes at Atlanta Fish Market will be even tastier when you don’t put your life and the lives of others on the line. If you’re not a hospital worker, a firefighter, a police officer or a TV weatherman forced to stand on the side of Interstate 85 to say it’s snowing, stay home.
You can look at pictures of Piedmont Park in the snow on your socials. You don’t need to see it for yourself, especially if you live in Norcross or Hapeville. The grocery stores, if they’re even open, won’t have any milk, bread or eggs. That all will have been gone by Thursday night. You don’t need to see “Gladiator 2″ again this weekend.
So stay home, watch the snow fall, and hope your power stays on. That’s what winter weekends are for.
About the Author
