Story highlights
A winter storm expected to hit the Southeast Monday night
Georgia, Atlanta plan to treat the streets before the storm
Officials lambasted after earlier storm paralyzed Atlanta
Birmingham, Memphis and Little Rock are also in the crosshairs
Less than two weeks after a winter storm paralyzed Atlanta, a brand new round of bad weather is bearing down on the Southeast.
The National Weather Service forecasts a 60% to 80% chance of rain, snow and sleet from Monday night through Wednesday in Atlanta. Up to 2 inches of snow could stick. A winter storm watch is in effect Monday through Wednesday morning for Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis and Little Rock.
This storm will be the first test for a 32-member severe weather task force created in Georgia after last month’s debacle when 2.6 inches of snow shut down Atlanta’s metropolitan area.
The city of Atlanta and Georgia say they’re being proactive this time, unlike two weeks ago when the storm snuck up on Gov. Nathan Deal and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, resulting in citizen inconvenience and outrage.
The governor apologized to the public and promised to handle things differently next time. “I’m the governor, the buck stops with me,” he said.
The Georgia Department of Transportation has said it plans to start treating roads with sand and salt after the Monday evening rush hour. Supplies from southern Georgia are being brought to the Atlanta metro area, said transportation department spokeswoman Natalie Dale.
Atlanta City Hall spokesman Carlos Campos said priority roads and bridges will be treated Monday night with a combination of sand and salt, and more supplies are being ordered. The city will open a joint operations center and coordinate with the state government. The city urged people to take precautions such as filling cars with gas and stocking up on food.
When the storm struck January 28, traffic gridlock occurred almost instantaneously as commuters fled Atlanta en masse. Thousands of school children across northern Georgia spent the night in schools, and countless motorists endured 20-plus hour commutes, if they were lucky enough to get home at all.
Deal appointed the new task force to help prepare for future winter storms.
Glenn Burns, chief meteorologist for CNN affiliate WSB and a member of the Georgia Severe Weather Task Force, told CNN Sunday that the group is ready.
He participated in a meeting Sunday with the National Weather Service, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, GDOT, local schools and meteorologists.
“I think being on the same page with everybody getting the same information is going to be key to how we respond,” he said.
Burns also warned that this week’s storm will be significant.
“This is a whole different ball game,” Burns said. “What we had two weeks ago was a minor event. This is likely to be a major event.”
Burns predicts northern Georgia will see more than 30 hours of wintry precipitation compared to last month’s four hours of snow.
CNN weather forecasters say this week’s storm will hit the Southeast in two waves.
The first wave will occur Monday into Tuesday with a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain. The second wave pushes in Tuesday and Wednesday because of an area of low pressure bringing Gulf moisture to the Southeast. It will bring a wintry mix and freezing rain.
The National Weather Service predicts lows of 35 degrees Monday night. On Tuesday, the high will only reach 37 and the low will be around 30. Wednesday will be even colder, with a high of 35 and a low of 30. On Thursday, temperatures should rise into the high 40s.