Atlanta cold snap - Page 3

cecilsgarden1958 · February 1, 2014

I can't imagine an untreated, unplowed road. Our service is marginal here in the boonies of PA, but what we get really helps. Hope you guys down there don't anymore of this stuff. A 4x4 still doesn't drive in ice.

hdrider · February 1, 2014

Several years ago I used to plow during the winter. I would head out in the beginning to the middle of the storms having to drive on county roads that had not been plowed or salted as of yet. Sometimes with 4 wheel drive sometimes not. I have driven in white out conditions with out running anyone over or vice versa.

I have driven on black ice that was so bad you could not stand on it without the wind blowing you around. I have driven in northern MS during ice storms that everyone was too scared to go out in. If you use your head, don't attempt massive hills, or try to go fast it can be done if you know what you are doing. This does not mean that I haven't gotten stuck and needed a push on occasion, you just have to have common sense and a little experience driving through it.

Tracy
Back in Winter Wonderland and hating it!

P.S. You cant outrun the idiot, who's going ten times faster than they should be, and wants to turn your car into a parking lot.

Drive safe everyone!

bughunter99 · February 1, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljp

Ignore the Northern know it alls. There was a 70 car/truck pile up on one of our major highways (401?). Heavy snow and freezing rain does in everyone.

Nope. "Northern Know it Alls" know when not to drive and if they have to, they have had the experience to contain the issues. The roads selected, the lanes selected, the speed, who you let hang around you and how you change and tire pressure all matter a lot on ice, ice/snow. You do it enough, you KNOW which bridges, curves ice over first. You KNOW where the issues will be and the best routes to take.

Another storm last night. This one we were forced to drive in, to check on the in-laws. Ice under 4" powder snow. Not fun, but also not this rare event that some people seem to think it is. You take it easy, keep your wits about you, keep wide spaces around you and have a car ready to drive in it, with full wiper fluid, proper tires and the right route chosen. We have been doing it twice a week for months. The counties are out of salt, (which hasn't worked half the time anyway due to temperatures being too low, roads are getting ridiculous with craters people used to call potholes causing flats, and secondary roads are getting narrower and narrower. And its snowing again this morning with freezing rain creepy in. Yay.

The cities don't shut down. Know why? The roads during the storm had barely any traffic on them last night. We have been there enough times this winter that people are getting smarter. Are there accidents? Sure. Couple of highways with all lanes shut down this am with jack-knifed semi's again. Happens every storm-usually its the black ice that does it. Regular ice...people can't get up to high speeds. Black ice, well that's a different story. You are on what looks like decent pavement, going 60 and you hit the black ice and start sliding. The black ice is what is killing people. Not these events where it is too slick to get any traction at all.
These snow/ice events are certainly not shutting down cities, thank goodness or we would that would be half the week, this is because the know it all's are typically watching it on the news, negotiating earlier or later starts, and work from home days, getting necessities before the storm and hunkering down when possible, leaving the roads to those that truly MUST be on them. Reduced traffic volumes make a huge difference. Letting an entire city on to the roads at the exact same time at the height of the storm...so not a good idea.

Kazfam · February 3, 2014

Ice, not snow, was the real driving danger.

I was born and raised in Syracuse, NY and have been in the South for 25 years. When there is ice there is mayhem...couldn't even drive on the ice when I lived up north...ice knows no boundaries.

PaulF · February 3, 2014

We were "stuck" in Florida for several days while Atlanta played bumper cars last week. Delta finally figured out the gridlock created by many, many thousands of drivers unable to figure out ice driving just abandoned their vehicles in the middle of the roads and created a mess of gigantic proportions and got us tickets on another airline not affected by the piddly storm.

Yes, ice is bad, but going 30 or 40 mph too fast on ice is the big problem. I, too, learned to drive on snow and ice (loved your story Zana) and reducing speed is the first step in getting home safely. Even in the midwest there are those who "forget" how to drive on slick streets from one storm to the next.

Instead of Atlanta as the hub city, we flew into the Dallas/Ft. Worth hub to get home. Now I see it is DFW with a projected snow/ice storm on the way and they will soon experience bumper cars. Nebraska will be getting another eight inch blast from this storm and we will just stay home and out of the crazy driver's way. Just so the propane driver can make it to our house if he happens to have any gas left.

Come on winter, give us a break! I'm tired of this season already

macbettz · February 4, 2014

Plenty of boat mechanics are licking their chops waiting to handle all the calls dealing with issues from unwinterized motors down south.

cecilsgarden1958 · February 5, 2014

Well, I guess I never did find out how the Atlanta weather might improve the tomatoes this season, but I sure learned a lot about driving

Worth1 · February 5, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by cecilsgarden1958

Well, I guess I never did find out how the Atlanta weather might improve the tomatoes this season, but I sure learned a lot about driving

My guess and hope is the weather will gradually get warmer, not just get hot and turn into a furnace.

Worth

b54red · February 6, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

My guess and hope is the weather will gradually get warmer, not just get hot and turn into a furnace.

Worth

Wouldn't that be nice for a change.

Bill

ScottinAtlanta · February 12, 2014

What a difference three weeks makes. The current ice storms in Atlanta are being treated much more carefully. 3/4 to one inch of ice sheets forming on roads, trees.... Trees will snap, bringing down power lines across the region. I have had a load of emails asking for to "borrow" some of my firewood. How you return firewood, I do not know. Of course I will help out as much as possible given that I am in Iraq.

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/atlanta...y-night/ndLMT/

February 1, 2014	#31
cecilsgarden1958 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: swPA Posts: 629	I can't imagine an untreated, unplowed road. Our service is marginal here in the boonies of PA, but what we get really helps. Hope you guys down there don't anymore of this stuff. A 4x4 still doesn't drive in ice. __________________ Hybrids Rule, Heirlooms Drool!

February 1, 2014	#32
hdrider Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: WI/MS Posts: 93	Several years ago I used to plow during the winter. I would head out in the beginning to the middle of the storms having to drive on county roads that had not been plowed or salted as of yet. Sometimes with 4 wheel drive sometimes not. I have driven in white out conditions with out running anyone over or vice versa. I have driven on black ice that was so bad you could not stand on it without the wind blowing you around. I have driven in northern MS during ice storms that everyone was too scared to go out in. If you use your head, don't attempt massive hills, or try to go fast it can be done if you know what you are doing. This does not mean that I haven't gotten stuck and needed a push on occasion, you just have to have common sense and a little experience driving through it. Tracy Back in Winter Wonderland and hating it! P.S. You cant outrun the idiot, who's going ten times faster than they should be, and wants to turn your car into a parking lot. Drive safe everyone! Last edited by hdrider; February 1, 2014 at 02:58 AM. Reason: Added P.S.

February 3, 2014	#34
Kazfam Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Upstate South Carolina Posts: 113	Ice, not snow, was the real driving danger. I was born and raised in Syracuse, NY and have been in the South for 25 years. When there is ice there is mayhem...couldn't even drive on the ice when I lived up north...ice knows no boundaries. __________________ God Almighty first planted a garden, and indeed it is the purest of human pleasures. It is the greatest refreshment of the spirit of man, without which buildings and palaces are but gross handiwork. Francis Bacon

February 3, 2014	#35
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	We were "stuck" in Florida for several days while Atlanta played bumper cars last week. Delta finally figured out the gridlock created by many, many thousands of drivers unable to figure out ice driving just abandoned their vehicles in the middle of the roads and created a mess of gigantic proportions and got us tickets on another airline not affected by the piddly storm. Yes, ice is bad, but going 30 or 40 mph too fast on ice is the big problem. I, too, learned to drive on snow and ice (loved your story Zana) and reducing speed is the first step in getting home safely. Even in the midwest there are those who "forget" how to drive on slick streets from one storm to the next. Instead of Atlanta as the hub city, we flew into the Dallas/Ft. Worth hub to get home. Now I see it is DFW with a projected snow/ice storm on the way and they will soon experience bumper cars. Nebraska will be getting another eight inch blast from this storm and we will just stay home and out of the crazy driver's way. Just so the propane driver can make it to our house if he happens to have any gas left. Come on winter, give us a break! I'm tired of this season already __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

February 5, 2014	#37
cecilsgarden1958 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: swPA Posts: 629	Well, I guess I never did find out how the Atlanta weather might improve the tomatoes this season, but I sure learned a lot about driving __________________ Hybrids Rule, Heirlooms Drool!

February 4, 2014	#36
macbettz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: CT Posts: 40	Plenty of boat mechanics are licking their chops waiting to handle all the calls dealing with issues from unwinterized motors down south.

February 12, 2014	#40
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	What a difference three weeks makes. The current ice storms in Atlanta are being treated much more carefully. 3/4 to one inch of ice sheets forming on roads, trees.... Trees will snap, bringing down power lines across the region. I have had a load of emails asking for to "borrow" some of my firewood. How you return firewood, I do not know. Of course I will help out as much as possible given that I am in Iraq. http://www.ajc.com/news/news/atlanta...y-night/ndLMT/ Last edited by ScottinAtlanta; February 12, 2014 at 05:19 AM.