It started out like a regular Tuesday…that was the problem.
Atlanta received 2.6" of snow on January 28, 2014. The problem wasn’t the amount of snow — it was the timing and temperatures. Snow began to stick shortly before noon, just a few hours after everyone had arrived at work and school. Temperatures were in the low/mid 20s and didn’t budge the rest of the day. The ground was warm enough to melt some of the initial flakes, but by early afternoon snow was falling on a layer of ice. The exodus home started after noon as thousands of cars hit the roads and further compacted the ice and snow.

It was a nightmare. It took 5, 10, in some cases 20+ hours for people to get home. Some kids spent the night in schools. Buses were stuck, cars were abandoned, and the temperatures dipped into the teens overnight.

Was this a surprise?
Well…the forecast was certainly indicating a high risk event worthy of shutting down the city of Atlanta. Local media were mentioning snow in the days leading up to the event, and the National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning the morning of the event, with a Winter Storm Watch up 2 days prior. It was a good forecast, but poor communication is what ultimately led to Snow Jam 2.

In this episode of WX Geeks, expert host Marshall Shepherd invites Keith Stellman, Meteorologist-In-Charge of the Peachtree City NWS office, and Weather Disaster Communication Specialist, Bryan Norcross, to the show. All three of these gentleman lived through the event. They bring their personal connections, strong opinions, and lessons learned to the table. Two of the biggest takeaways: watching the evolving forecast and ALWAYS being prepared.

There is also a great Geek Out on the original Snow Jam (1982). Turns out these two events are eerily similar. Just how often is it really cold & snowing during the day in Atlanta?? You might be very surprised.

Top Image: AP Photo/David Tulis
Second image: twitter/@a23kiki23