What to learn from Snow Jam 2014

WABA Weather
Shawn Fortune

Ok, so what now? The roads are (for the most part) clear, Interstates are moving again, and people are getting back to their regular routines. But what do we need to do from now on the prevent this from happening again? 

It is clear that everyone could have focused more on the forecast and have taken warning more seriously. This would have prevented the roads from getting as iced over if they were to pre- treat and continue treating.

Government, Schools, and businesses could have corresponded  to release their personnel in an orderly fashion: 1st Schools, 2nd Businesses and 3rd Government Personnel. Atlanta traffic is bad enough on a nightly commute, but when 6 million people are trying to get on the roads all at once, the roads of Atlanta simply do not have the capacity for that.

Schools should have been more focused into the forecast to determine whether it was safe to be in session. Based on past experiences, present conditions, and future forecasts, what is the best decision to do in light of the situation?

The National Weather Service could have put more emphasis on the kind of alert. Although the National Weather Service did their job of putting the warnings out there, when they saw the the government, schools, and businesses were not responding to their alerts, they could have come in personal contact with those leaders. Although it's unprecedented, we're going to have to make some changes if we want to see an improvement in the future.

By including these four tips, Atlanta can be prepared for the next Snow Event.