Alabama/Atlanta Snowpocalypse: When meteorology goes terribly wrong

JayFarrar · Feb 1, 2014

YankeeFan said:

Let's cut through all the bullshit.

The real reason for the gridlock is racism: http://slate.me/1dejaFt
Click to expand...

I think it is inarguable among the sane that Atlanta's traffic problems are rooted in the area's racial history.

The sprawl, the white flight, the lack of a true area-wide public transportation. That's all because of race and it is certain that racist feelings motivated those decisions.

Inky_Wretch · Feb 1, 2014

Captain_Kirk said:

BTExpress said:

If you aren't skilled at doing something, sometimes tis best to stay on the porch. I don't swim, so you aren't going to see me doing summersaults off the high dive board.
Click to expand...

The thing people aren't grasping is that when these people hit the roads . . . the roads were fine. Fine enough, anyway.

It was the NUMBER of people on the roads that caused the problem, that caused the initial traffic jams, that caused roads to freeze over more quickly than had a steady stream of traffic been running on them.
Click to expand...

Finally, a voice of reason.

What's also apparently missed is that a good percentage of the population grew up somewhere else where they are familiar with how to drive in snow.

I'll try one more time to offer my personal account on the roads Tuesday that echo BTE's comments. My trek covered the entire northern arc of 285 and 85 North so it certainly covers a good portion of the metro highways (southern 285 and the downtown connector notwithstanding). 35 mile total trip that on a normal day runs about an hour to an hour and ten in heavy traffic/rain.

Came out of a restaurant after lunch at 1:20pm. That puts me at one of the late ones to the party of getting on the roads. On the car was a good inch of white fluffy snow, No ice, and the light and fluffy kind that is rather simple to drive in. I'm about half way between downtown and 285 on I-75. Try to head north back toward the office to perhaps pick up my stuff. Take a side road north because 75 north is backed up. Then, working toward another side road that goes back into toward the office (around the Weather Channel offices, ironically). That road is blocked and not moving.

See that the ramp from 75 to I-285 east is moving so I skirt over a lane and grab that. Figure i can take that to the next exit on 285 to jump toward the office or at least I'm headed in the direction home regardless. Come around the corner of 75 onto 285 that gives visibility into a number of roads in that area, and that's where I see armageddon and now know what we're facing.

285 east is at least inching along. I can view the frontage/side roads below to the south of my position and it's gridlocked. Three way stop where as far as you can see in any direction there are cars backed up one after the other. Intersection completely filled with cars and with nowhere to go because in front of them it's completely blocked as far as you can see. These folks are pretty much stuck in place.

Look across the road to the north to the other frontage road that runs parallel to 285--same story---cars at a stand still, backed up as far as you can see. I-285 west at a halt as well. It's now probably been at least an hour, getting near 3pm, and I've gone maybe 5 miles tops. Snow still falling lightly, maybe another half inch.
Probably one of the more surreal sites I've ever seen--I've lived for essentially the last quarter century in Chicago or Atlanta, and I've never seen that many cars in one spot in my life.

Moving slowly on 285 east toward the next exit and see it's blocked and backed up essentially to the highway. The decision that's been made already is confirmed--it's just a matter of trying to get home now. The further east I get on 285, the more it moves. By the time I get to 400 (proabably around 3:15), I'm normally about a 30 minute ride from home. Starts to open up more--I'm averaging 25-30mph on slushy wet roads.

Get to Spaghetti Junction and expect to have an issue getting on I-85 north, where you have to traverse the highest higway ramp in the city. Not a problem--no back up, no issue with traction, move easily around the ramp onto 85. Now about 3:30--15 miles from home. Still snowing.

85 is a breeze. We probably average 40 miles per hour over that 15 mile stretch and I'm home by 4pm. The one difference from where I was to where I live is that our county schools did not dismiss right at 1pm like Cobb county did, putting everyone on the roads at the same time.

Snow comes down for maybe a half hour more---done by around 4:30. 2 - 2 and 1/2 inches tops.

The driving only got bad as the sun went down, the temps dropped and the light snow packed into ice. If people had staggered their rides home, we probably had about a 5 or 6 hour window to get everyone home--very doable with the rather easy road conditions at the time. But, those poor bastards who sat in Cobb County, downtown, on 285 south couldn't move, and became sitting ducks as the road conditions worsened. Then even slight hills became a challenge for cars and semis alike, and still too many cars on the road, and absolutely no way for those clogged roads to be treated.

Only one man's experience. But, despite anything regarding the weather forecast or treated or non-treated roads, this was a situation created, caused and exacerbated by gridlocked traffic.
Click to expand...

No, y'all's first-hand knowledge pales in comparison to the troll's analysis of it.

playthrough · Feb 1, 2014

3_Octave_Fart said:

People act like this is some Halley Comet-like occurrence.
Two inches is not that fucking peculiar.
Now, this was a "weather event" deserving of the label.
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/20-years-ago-today-atlanta-slammed-by-rare-blizzar/nWqcL/
Click to expand...

I was a freshman in college at Indiana U, had a plane ticket to fly home to Atlanta for Spring Break. Flights canceled time and again and spent three days in an Indy airport hotel. And not quite the era yet where you could kill three days surfing for porn catching up on your reading online.

Mark2010 · Feb 1, 2014

JayFarrar said:

YankeeFan said:

Let's cut through all the bullshit.

The real reason for the gridlock is racism: http://slate.me/1dejaFt
Click to expand...

I think it is inarguable among the sane that Atlanta's traffic problems are rooted in the area's racial history.

The sprawl, the white flight, the lack of a true area-wide public transportation. That's all because of race and it is certain that racist feelings motivated those decisions.
Click to expand...

Ok, whatever. I blame it on too many cars.

Mark2010 · Feb 1, 2014

YankeeFan said:

Let's cut through all the bullshit.

The real reason for the gridlock is racism: http://slate.me/1dejaFt
Click to expand...

Interesting take.

Anyone want to explain in civil terms why certain things are considered racist? Or, even if they truly are, why racism is somehow considered evil?

Captain_Kirk · Feb 1, 2014

It's been said here on this thread at least a couple times, more eloquently than I can put it.

A city this large, with no true city wide transport system, is asking for trouble, especially in times of crisis like earlier this week.

3_Octave_Fart · Feb 1, 2014

Inky_Wretch said:

Captain_Kirk said:

BTExpress said:

If you aren't skilled at doing something, sometimes tis best to stay on the porch. I don't swim, so you aren't going to see me doing summersaults off the high dive board.
Click to expand...

The thing people aren't grasping is that when these people hit the roads . . . the roads were fine. Fine enough, anyway.

It was the NUMBER of people on the roads that caused the problem, that caused the initial traffic jams, that caused roads to freeze over more quickly than had a steady stream of traffic been running on them.
Click to expand...

Finally, a voice of reason.

What's also apparently missed is that a good percentage of the population grew up somewhere else where they are familiar with how to drive in snow.

I'll try one more time to offer my personal account on the roads Tuesday that echo BTE's comments. My trek covered the entire northern arc of 285 and 85 North so it certainly covers a good portion of the metro highways (southern 285 and the downtown connector notwithstanding). 35 mile total trip that on a normal day runs about an hour to an hour and ten in heavy traffic/rain.

Came out of a restaurant after lunch at 1:20pm. That puts me at one of the late ones to the party of getting on the roads. On the car was a good inch of white fluffy snow, No ice, and the light and fluffy kind that is rather simple to drive in. I'm about half way between downtown and 285 on I-75. Try to head north back toward the office to perhaps pick up my stuff. Take a side road north because 75 north is backed up. Then, working toward another side road that goes back into toward the office (around the Weather Channel offices, ironically). That road is blocked and not moving.

See that the ramp from 75 to I-285 east is moving so I skirt over a lane and grab that. Figure i can take that to the next exit on 285 to jump toward the office or at least I'm headed in the direction home regardless. Come around the corner of 75 onto 285 that gives visibility into a number of roads in that area, and that's where I see armageddon and now know what we're facing.

285 east is at least inching along. I can view the frontage/side roads below to the south of my position and it's gridlocked. Three way stop where as far as you can see in any direction there are cars backed up one after the other. Intersection completely filled with cars and with nowhere to go because in front of them it's completely blocked as far as you can see. These folks are pretty much stuck in place.

Look across the road to the north to the other frontage road that runs parallel to 285--same story---cars at a stand still, backed up as far as you can see. I-285 west at a halt as well. It's now probably been at least an hour, getting near 3pm, and I've gone maybe 5 miles tops. Snow still falling lightly, maybe another half inch.
Probably one of the more surreal sites I've ever seen--I've lived for essentially the last quarter century in Chicago or Atlanta, and I've never seen that many cars in one spot in my life.

Moving slowly on 285 east toward the next exit and see it's blocked and backed up essentially to the highway. The decision that's been made already is confirmed--it's just a matter of trying to get home now. The further east I get on 285, the more it moves. By the time I get to 400 (proabably around 3:15), I'm normally about a 30 minute ride from home. Starts to open up more--I'm averaging 25-30mph on slushy wet roads.

Get to Spaghetti Junction and expect to have an issue getting on I-85 north, where you have to traverse the highest higway ramp in the city. Not a problem--no back up, no issue with traction, move easily around the ramp onto 85. Now about 3:30--15 miles from home. Still snowing.

85 is a breeze. We probably average 40 miles per hour over that 15 mile stretch and I'm home by 4pm. The one difference from where I was to where I live is that our county schools did not dismiss right at 1pm like Cobb county did, putting everyone on the roads at the same time.

Snow comes down for maybe a half hour more---done by around 4:30. 2 - 2 and 1/2 inches tops.

The driving only got bad as the sun went down, the temps dropped and the light snow packed into ice. If people had staggered their rides home, we probably had about a 5 or 6 hour window to get everyone home--very doable with the rather easy road conditions at the time. But, those poor bastards who sat in Cobb County, downtown, on 285 south couldn't move, and became sitting ducks as the road conditions worsened. Then even slight hills became a challenge for cars and semis alike, and still too many cars on the road, and absolutely no way for those clogged roads to be treated.

Only one man's experience. But, despite anything regarding the weather forecast or treated or non-treated roads, this was a situation created, caused and exacerbated by gridlocked traffic.
Click to expand...

No, y'all's first-hand knowledge pales in comparison to the troll's analysis of it.
Click to expand...

I love the way Yankees roll out the patois - when expedient to them.
I arrive armed with logic, reason and experience. I need not go further than they.
And, hey, I thought FART was in your kill-file? Why in Hades are you posting to me, again?

Mark2010 · Feb 2, 2014

Captain_Kirk said:

It's been said here on this thread at least a couple times, more eloquently than I can put it.

A city this large, with no true city wide transport system, is asking for trouble, especially in times of crisis like earlier this week.
Click to expand...

When I worked at the Olympics in 1996, I took the MARTA downtown everyday and it worked fine. Most of us had feared a traffic nightmare, but the couple of times I did actually drive downtown weren't all that bad.

JC · Feb 2, 2014

Mark2010 said:

Captain_Kirk said:

It's been said here on this thread at least a couple times, more eloquently than I can put it.

A city this large, with no true city wide transport system, is asking for trouble, especially in times of crisis like earlier this week.
Click to expand...

When I worked at the Olympics in 1996, I took the MARTA downtown everyday and it worked fine. Most of us had feared a traffic nightmare, but the couple of times I did actually drive downtown weren't all that bad.
Click to expand...

Well there you go. The biggest moron on the board says traffic isn't so bad, he must be right.

Inky_Wretch · Feb 2, 2014

JC said:

Mark2010 said:

Captain_Kirk said:

It's been said here on this thread at least a couple times, more eloquently than I can put it.

A city this large, with no true city wide transport system, is asking for trouble, especially in times of crisis like earlier this week.
Click to expand...

When I worked at the Olympics in 1996, I took the MARTA downtown everyday and it worked fine. Most of us had feared a traffic nightmare, but the couple of times I did actually drive downtown weren't all that bad.
Click to expand...

Well there you go. The biggest moron on the board says traffic isn't so bad, he must be right.
Click to expand...

Nah, he's not the biggest moron on here. That guy is trolling the shit out of it.

3_Octave_Fart · Feb 2, 2014

Inky_Wretch said:

JC said:

Mark2010 said:

Captain_Kirk said:

It's been said here on this thread at least a couple times, more eloquently than I can put it.

A city this large, with no true city wide transport system, is asking for trouble, especially in times of crisis like earlier this week.
Click to expand...

When I worked at the Olympics in 1996, I took the MARTA downtown everyday and it worked fine. Most of us had feared a traffic nightmare, but the couple of times I did actually drive downtown weren't all that bad.
Click to expand...

Well there you go. The biggest moron on the board says traffic isn't so bad, he must be right.
Click to expand...

Nah, he's not the biggest moron on here. That guy is trolling the shit out of it.
Click to expand...

Put me on ignore and shut it.
I forbid you from reading my insights.

jr/shotglass · Feb 2, 2014

You know, I hear dick-measurings come in threes.

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Alabama/Atlanta Snowpocalypse: When meteorology goes terribly wrong

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Alabama/Atlanta Snowpocalypse: When meteorology goes terribly wrong

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