2022-2023 Winter weather guide.

2022-2023
Winter Weather Guide
What You Should Know
www.dot.ga.gov

Georgia DOT Priorities
Achieve & Maintain "Passable" Road Conditions Make keeping roads safe for emergency vehicles a priority Focus crews first on interstates; then state routes from the most heavily traveled, to the least
traveled Goal is to maintain all lanes passable unless storm severity dictates otherwise
Focus on Trouble Spots Pretreat bridges and overpasses prior to snow and ice conditions and monitor consistently
Key Stakeholder Coordination Pretreat bridges and overpasses prior to snow and ice conditions and monitor consistently Update the public on road conditions and road closures as needed
Interstate Response Teams
Teams with different expertise respond to a variety of incidences. GDOT identifies these as Brine Distribution, Interstate, Special Response and Traffic Strike teams:
Brine - Brine units distribute on impacted highways. (Brine is a mixture of salt and water is used as a preventative treatment and is intended to limit the bonding of the ice to the pavement). Interstate - Treat and remove snow from interstate roadways using 3-5 tandem dump trucks (trucks with snow plows and material spreaders attached). Up to 18 crews. Special Response - Respond to "hot spots" outside of treatment areas where interstate teams will focus. Traffic Strike - Consist of Georgia State Patrol; Motor Carrier Compliance Division; Georgia DOT Highway Emergency Response Operator; Department of Natural Resources; Georgia Forestry Commission and Georgia Department of Defense personnel.

Dealing with Black Ice
When wet roads freeze, the threat of black ice is possible. Black ice is a thin, often invisible sheet of ice that forms on the roadway, especially on bridges and overpasses and low lying areas. It can form at any time when temperatures drop below freezing and there is any form of moisture, from sprinklers, run-off or precipitation on the road way.
GDOT Highway Emergency Response Operators (HEROs) will monitor roadways in metro Atlanta for potential freezing. HEROs will notify the 511 dispatchers and routine maintenance crews will address these issues.
Will use the Roadway Weather Information System to help identify potential timeframes for black ice to enhance monitoring of these roadways.
Will monitor black ice areas that were problematic during prior winter weather events and address it as soon as it occurs.
Winter Weather Technology
Road Weather Information System (RWIS) - roadway sensors in 55 locations across the state will improve ability to predict weather conditions on roads such as ice, temperature, precipitation and wind.
Expanded network of RWIS capabilities will include Georgia airports; and real-time capability to view all surrounding states' weather conditions (AL, TN, NC, SC, North FL and MS).
Added additional cameras to NaviGAtor Intelligent Transportation System to assist with monitoring and deploying resources.
Enhanced GIS equipment tracking to identify locations being treated. Web-based program to monitor incidents. Snow removal equipment operators equipped with communication devices to share real-time
conditions with their Area and District Storm Operations Center.
Materials and Resources
Statewide (approximately) 1,922 employees on call covering 40,359
lane miles interstate & state routes 53,880 tons of salt 43,520 tons of gravel 128,400 gallons of calcium chloride 446,970 pounds of calcium chloride (granular) 1,800,950 gallons of brine 393 snow removal dump truck units (one plow + spreader + dump truck = 1dump truck unit) 61 F-250 pick-ups with plows and spreaders Capacity to store over 1,805,000 gallons
of brine Capacity to store over 130,000 gallons
of Calcium Chloride. Capacity to produce 50,000 gallons of brine per hour, statewide GDOT may relocate district resources to the most - needed areas during an event

Pretreatment Materials and Response Equipment
Materials Brine to pretreat metro Atlanta and north Georgia interstates to prevent ice from
building up on roadways
13 tankers will dispense brine along metro Atlanta interstates up to 24 hours before winter weather hits
31, 5,000-gallon brine tankers are available to apply brine treatment to the interstates and critical routes
GDOT's Forest Park facility houses an automated brine production units, which includes 220,000 gallons of storage
Districts 1, 2, 3 and 6 have additional brine plants and units
Equipment Six multi-lane tow plows to clear two lanes in one pass. Multi-lane tow plows will be dispatched
around the state when needed and remove snow and ice from interstates and multi-lane state routes Single and/or double-axle dump trucks with front-attached snowplows to push snow and ice
from roadways Single and/or double-axle dump trucks with rear-attached hopper spreaders or tailgate
spreaders to distribute salt/gravel mixture and brine for de-icing the roads Plows and spreaders for F-250 pick-ups which allow multi-use of equipment year around Tractor-type motor graders for moving snow
Safety Messages
Beware of black ice (especially on bridges and overpasses) and watch for fallen trees or power lines
Avoid driving unless absolutely necessary or postpone until daylight when road conditions, such as black ice, may be visible
Do not pass a GDOT dump truck spreading salt/gravel; gravel may kick up and could break car windows. Follow at least 100-feet behind these vehicles
Be aware of GDOT work crews who clear snow and ice from interstates and state routes
SLOW DOWN to at least half of the normal speed limit and drive in low gear Treat a non-working traffic signal as a
four-way stop

Contacts and Information
Media Contacts: Natalie Dale: 404-631-1814 Elizabeth Johnson: (D1) 770-533-7250 Vacant: (D2) 478-553-3361 Gina Snider: (D3) 706-741-3439 Juanita Birmingham: (D4) 229-326-5435 Jill Nagel: (D5) 912-424-6643 Joe Schulman: (D6) 678-721-5284 Melodii Peoples: (D7) 404-381-7346

WHITFIELD HABERSHAM

DADE

CATOOSA

MURRAY

FANNIN

TOWNS UNION

RABUN

WALKER

CHATTOOGA

GORDON

6 FLOYD

BARTOW

GILMER PICKENS CHEROKEE

WHITE LUMPKIN

STEPHENS

DAWSON FORSYTH

1HALL

FRANKLIN BANKS

HART

JACKSON

MADISON ELBERT

7 POLK

PAULDING

COBB

HARALSON

DOUGLAS

FULTON

BARROW

GWINNETT

CLARKE

DEKALB

WALTON OCONEE

OGLETHORPE WILKES

ROCKDALE

CARROLL

NEWTON HENRY

MORGAN

GREENE

TALIAFWERARORREN

LINCOLN COLUMBIA

FAYETTE CLAYTON

McDUFFIE

HEARD

COWETA

TROUP

JASPER PUTNAM

RICHMOND

BUTTS SPALDING PIKE LAMAR

2 HANCOCK

GLASCOCK JEFFERSON

MONROE

JONES

BALDWIN

WASHINGTON

BURKE

MERIWETHER

UPSON

HARRIS

3 TALBOT

BIBB CRAWFORD

WILKINSON TWIGGS

JOHNSON

JENKINS EMANUEL

SCREVEN

MUSCOGEE CHATTA-

MARION

TAYLOR

PEACH

MACON

HOUSTON

BLECKLEY

LAURENS

TREUTLEN

BULLOCH CANDLER

HOOCHEE

EFFINGHAM MONTGOMERY

SCHLEY

STEWART

WEBSTER

SUMTER

QUITMAN

TERRELL

LEE

RANDOLPH

DOOLY

PULASKI DODGE

WHEELER

CRISP

WILCOX

TELFAIR

TURNER

BEN HILL

JEFF DAVIS

TOOMBS

EVANS

BRYAN

TATTNALL

APPLING

5 LIBERTY LONG

CHATHAM

CLAY CALHOUN DOUGHERTY WORTH

IRWIN

EARLY MILLER

BAKER

4 TIFT

MITCHELL

COLQUITT

BERRIEN

COOK

COFFEE

BACON

WAYNE

ATKINSON

PIERCE

WARE

BRANTLEY

McINTOSH GLYNN

SEMINOLE LANIER

DECATUR

GRADY

THOMAS BROOKS LOWNDES

CLINCH

ECHOLS

CHARLTON

CAMDEN

Inclement Weather Partners
National Weather Service: 770-486-1133 GEMA: 800-879-4362 Georgia State Patrol: 404-624-7700

GPB Radio: 800-222-6006 HERO and CHAMP: 511

Access roadway conditions here: https://www.dot.ga.gov/GDOT/Pages/WinterWeather.aspx

Follow GDOT social media:

@GeorgiaDOT

@GADeptofTrans

@GADeptofTrans

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Georgia Department of Transportation
Office of Strategic Communications One Georgia Center
600 West Peachtree Street NW Atlanta, GA 30308
Phone: 404.631.1990 www.dot.ga.gov
2022-2023 Georgia Department of Transportation Office of Strategic Communications