Don't laugh at Atlanta.. you northern folks!
OK.. I am going to weigh in on the winter disaster of Atlanta, and ask your northern weather channel people to stop looking askance at the south in snowstorms just as we in Florida should not laugh at responses to hurricanes up north.
I have lived in Atlanta three times although many years ago. But, I survived a few snow storms and cold weather. I have also lived in New York, New Jersey and Provincetown and experienced some of the northern variety of ice.
It is not ... just that Atlanta and the south is not used to ice storms. It is not just that people don't know how to drive, or that they lack sensibility for how to drive in snow. It can't be, because many of those stranded on the roadways and with kids stuck on a bus or in school are not originally from Atlanta and many are from the north. So, you may feel quite righteous at the moment but many of your kinfolk I bet are part of the problem.
Snow in Atlanta, feels colder than what is in the north. It is more akin to a heavier spring snow storm in the northeast that repeatedly downs trees, stops trains, and causes more havoc than the winter variety. There is more moisture in the spring. The snow is heavier and the trees are typically displaying some leaves making them more vulnerable to the heavier snow and you might consider that Atlanta can share some of that climate shift as it is generally warmer than northeast which is why many of you have moved there in the first place.
In addition, there is this little unknown detail in the south called black ice. It may be described in the north, but Atlanta is unique. There is typically some melting and refreezing going on under the visible snow and ice making the driving much more treacherous than it may appear watching on TV. So, being shut down by a few inches of snow may seem odd but when you consider there could be a sheet of black ice underneath then it may seem quite understandable.
The only odd part of this tragedy unfolding, is that there must be some long term Atlanta residents that should have stayed home or at the office and still couldn't believe this would unfold apparently because there were no appropriate warnings from the government or weather stations. Instead, they all thought this was headed south instead and were snickering that this winter wonderland would arrive in Savannah which apparently was not the case after all.
Last but not least, cold is just bitterly cold. I remember December 1984 or January 1985 when I had started co-oping with IBM. IBM hosted a meeting at the Waverly Hotel near Cumberland Mall (had just opened and actually IBM hosted an education event for software prior to the grand opening.). It was 8 degrees below zero and with the wind blowing around buildings IBM folks from Chicago were complaining about the cold. So, stop snickering at Atlanta.
By the way.. temperature is a balmy 77 degrees in Fort Lauderdale after a rainy morning.. I forgot my suntan lotion walking for coffee..
I have lived in Atlanta three times although many years ago. But, I survived a few snow storms and cold weather. I have also lived in New York, New Jersey and Provincetown and experienced some of the northern variety of ice.
It is not ... just that Atlanta and the south is not used to ice storms. It is not just that people don't know how to drive, or that they lack sensibility for how to drive in snow. It can't be, because many of those stranded on the roadways and with kids stuck on a bus or in school are not originally from Atlanta and many are from the north. So, you may feel quite righteous at the moment but many of your kinfolk I bet are part of the problem.
Snow in Atlanta, feels colder than what is in the north. It is more akin to a heavier spring snow storm in the northeast that repeatedly downs trees, stops trains, and causes more havoc than the winter variety. There is more moisture in the spring. The snow is heavier and the trees are typically displaying some leaves making them more vulnerable to the heavier snow and you might consider that Atlanta can share some of that climate shift as it is generally warmer than northeast which is why many of you have moved there in the first place.
In addition, there is this little unknown detail in the south called black ice. It may be described in the north, but Atlanta is unique. There is typically some melting and refreezing going on under the visible snow and ice making the driving much more treacherous than it may appear watching on TV. So, being shut down by a few inches of snow may seem odd but when you consider there could be a sheet of black ice underneath then it may seem quite understandable.
The only odd part of this tragedy unfolding, is that there must be some long term Atlanta residents that should have stayed home or at the office and still couldn't believe this would unfold apparently because there were no appropriate warnings from the government or weather stations. Instead, they all thought this was headed south instead and were snickering that this winter wonderland would arrive in Savannah which apparently was not the case after all.
Last but not least, cold is just bitterly cold. I remember December 1984 or January 1985 when I had started co-oping with IBM. IBM hosted a meeting at the Waverly Hotel near Cumberland Mall (had just opened and actually IBM hosted an education event for software prior to the grand opening.). It was 8 degrees below zero and with the wind blowing around buildings IBM folks from Chicago were complaining about the cold. So, stop snickering at Atlanta.
By the way.. temperature is a balmy 77 degrees in Fort Lauderdale after a rainy morning.. I forgot my suntan lotion walking for coffee..
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