Metro Atlanta has seen plenty of rain this week, but so far it has been spared the snow flurries that popped up in Birmingham and elsewhere in the Southeast Thursday.
Nonetheless, the Georgia Department of Transportation says it’s ready for winter weather.
In preparation for the season, the agency has doubled its fleet of pickup trucks equipped with plow blade and salt spreaders to 80 statewide, Bryan Haines, the agency’s director of emergency operations, told the State Transportation Board Wednesday.
GDOT also has an additional 30,000 gallons of calcium chloride brine to spread on metro Atlanta highways. The brine prevents or delays freezing, making it easier to keep roads clear. GDOT has 209,000 gallons of brine on hand to treat Georgia roads.
The agency also has 436 snow plows, 54,000 tons of salt and 65,000 tons of gravel available to treat and clear state highways in the event of snow or ice.
If this winter is anything like last year, GDOT's preparations may get an early lest. Parts of metro Atlanta received 12 inches of snow during a snow that struck last Dec. 8.
The National Weather Service’s winter outlook calls for normal temperatures but above-average precipitation in north Georgia.
About the Author
