Winter Weather

Georgia DOT employees are proud public servants, ready to assist when needed. Our employees work difficult, stressful 12-hour shifts; doing their very best to provide passable interstate and state highways. But nature, while occasionally allowing itself to be managed, cannot be controlled. We pledge to do everything within our ability and that of our resources to maintain a functional transportation system.

Primary Goals

View Procedures

The primary goals of our snow and ice removal efforts are:

1. To achieve and maintain two “passable” lanes on interstates first, then on state routes;
2. To focus on trouble spots like bridges and overpasses with preventive pre-treating before the snow and ice appears and consistent monitoring during the event;
3. To consistently and continuously coordinate and communicate with city, county officials and the public providing updates on road conditions and road closures;
4. To be mindful of the severe weather impact on commerce and the environment

Winter Weather Information

• Priorities to Keep Georgia Moving During Snow/Ice

  1. Interstates
  Interstates carry the heaviest volumes of traffic and serve as the backbone for the nation’s commerce network. As a result, we focus on clearing at least one/two lanes on the interstate system, such as I-75, I-85, I-20 and I-285.

  2. Multi-lane State Routes
  Multiple-lane state routes such as SR 316, SR 3 and Georgia 400 usually feed into the interstates and are our secondary focus.

  3. Two-lane State Routes
  Once we are able to clear and maintain a passable lane or lanes on our interstates and multi-lane state routes, we then focus on clearing two-lane state routes such as SR 155 and SR 314.

   

  NOTE:  We do not clear city and county roads or roadways leading into subdivisions. Please contact your local city or county office. For your convenience, please refer to the Cities and Counties Regional Contacts List

   
• Defining Levels of Emergency Weather

  LEVEL 1 Minor snowfall predicted; isolated icing; short duration (24-hours or less)

  Scout vehicles deployed; Pretreat bridges and overpasses with liquid de-icer (if conditions warrant)

  LEVEL 2 Moderate snowfall (Less than 2-inches); icy conditions (25-48-hour duration)

  Scout vehicles deployed; Pretreat bridges and overpasses with liquid de-icer (if conditions warrant) Pretreat roads with aggregate Deploy personnel from GDOT Districts 4 and 5

  LEVEL 3 Heavy snowfall (More than 2-inches); major icing conditions(More than 48-hour duration)

  Scout vehicles deployed; Pretreat bridges and overpasses with liquid de-icer (if conditions warrant) Pretreat roads with aggregate Deploy personnel from GDOT Districts 4 and 5 Deploy personnel from all unaffected GDOT Districts

   
• Winter Travel Resources for You

  City and County Roads

  If you need information about a city street or county road, please access the following information:

  • Cities and Counties
  • Regional Contacts List 

  Travel Information

  Please use the following resources to receive travel information and updates or dial 5-1-1 or 1(877) MY-GA-511 (694-2511) for free real-time traffic information.

  

  NOTE: Watch and listen to radio and TV news for our updates on road conditions and road closures;

   
• How Georgia DOT Has Geared Up

  Hundreds of Georgia DOT employees in the metro Atlanta area are trained and ready for round-the-clock, 12-hour work shifts.

  • Work crews will focus on first priority, the interstate system; second priority is the multi-lane state route system; and third is the two-lane state route system.
  • Highway Emergency Management Operators (HEROs) are ready to assist stranded motorists as needed.
  • Additional employees and equipment( will be brought in from across the state to assist.
  • Georgia DOT’s Transportation Management Center (TMC) serves as command center, where staff will monitor road and weather conditions throughout the state.

  We’ve enhanced planning and coordination with GEMA, GSP and metro Atlanta area cities and counties on road clearings and road closures.

  • Held coordination meetings with city and county government staff to share goals, capabilities, how to use EOC.
  • Launched new Emergency Operations Center (EOC) web application that allows Sharepoint access with local government staff.

  $2.5 million has been invested this year in:

  • Purchase of 112 new plows,
  • Purchase of 155 spreaders for salt/stone snow and ice removal materials,
  • Installation of 6 new liquid tanks to stockpile de-icer, and
  • Building 11 new salt sheds to make equipment re-loading more accessible.

  Consulted with other states and using their best practices:  

  • Pre-treat bridges and overpasses
  • Place salt barns at strategic locations for re-stocking
  • Adjust schedule of equipment repairs

  Partnerships with highway contractor firms to use their equipment when needed.

  Coordination with trucking companies to encourage them to stay off metro Atlanta area interstates and state routes when driving conditions become hazardous due to weather.

  On occasion, Mother Nature wins.
  Georgia DOT employees are committed to their work, and we use best practices adopted by many states nationwide.

  • Rather than snow, Georgia’s challenge is icy roadways
  • It is difficult to keep roadways passable with wet roads and freezing temperatures for extended periods of time.
  • Sometimes Georgia DOT crews are off the roadway due to shift change and servicing and maintaining our equipment
  • Define the Storm

   
• 2013 Fast Facts

  Georgia DOT is prepared for winter weather road-clearing activities. View Factsheet

  Maintenance and Equipment

  In addition to training work crews for 12-hour shifts, the following equipment and materials are stockpiled and ready.

  In Metro Atlanta:

  • 35,000 tons of salt 
  • 15,000 tons of stone/gravel mixture
  • 65 spreader/trucks
  • 53 tow plows 

  Statewide:

  • 20,000 tons of salt
  • 31,000 tons of stone/gravel mixture
  • 349 spreader/truck/plow combinations
  • 25 truck/spreaders

   
• Tips for Driving on Snow and Ice
  • If your travel isn’t necessary, STAY OFF the roads.
  • If you must travel, TAKE IT SLOW.
  • SHIFT DOWN to a lower gear on icy patches.
  • STAY BACK 100 feet from Georgia DOT trucks and work crews.
  • DO NOT PASS Georgia DOT dump trucks on the roadway.
  • BEWARE of “black ice,” especially on bridges and overpasses.
  • AVOID fallen trees and power lines.
  • WATCH OUT for over-confident and/or under-experienced drivers.
  • TAP THE BRAKES to avoid uncontrolled spins.