Parenting workshop @ North Decatur Presbyterian Church

Get the details at http://ndpc.org/2014/01/29/great-parenting-workshop-register-today/

A few real-time road updates from neighbors

via Medlock Park Neighbors Facebook page (~8am):

National Weather Service

Issued at 1pm Wednesday, January 29, 2014, National Weather Service
Active for next 23 hours 

Locations: Clayton; Cobb; DeKalb; Douglas; Fayette; Fulton; Gwinnett; Henry; Rockdale 

The National Weather Service in Peachtree City has relayed a Civil Emergency Message at the request of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency in Atlanta Georgia.
A state of emergency remains in effect for all of Georgia due to impacts from a winter storm on Tuesday through this morning. 

This message replaces the Winter Storm Warning that expired at 1:00 pm EST this afternoon. It will remain in effect until noon on Thursday and primarily pertains to the Atlanta metro counties of Gema Area 7. Those counties include Fulton, Dekalb, Clayton. Cobb, Gwinnett, Douglas, Rockdale, Fayette and Henry Counties. 

A combination of some sleet initially followed by 1 to 3 inches of snow caused most roadways to become extremely hazardous and in many cases impassable. The ice and snow has been compacted into solid sheets of ice which continues to cause treacherous road conditions. Hundreds of vehicles and trucks are still stranded or abandoned on portions of the interstates and primary roads in the Atlanta metro area. Any melting that occurs this afternoon will refreeze tonight as temperatures fall into the teens. 

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency requests that travel be limited to emergencies only for your safety, and for the safety of emergency officials and Georgia Department of Transportation employees that continue to respond to the dangerous impacts of the winter storm.

Winter Storm Warning Until 1PM today

Latest updates @ 9:45am via Facebook:

TG: drove my wife to work at DeKalb Medical from Joiner Court, up Woodtrail Lane, then up Medlock to North Decatur Road. Looks like North Decatur was salted. Nice and grippy. The rest was icy but passable. 

MS: Desmond is drivable from Clairmont to Gaylemont - downtown Decatur is okay too. Up the hill on Clairmont at the VA is NOT okay.

via http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ffc/.  Click to enlarge.

The AJC and CNN are reporting on how so many people have been stuck overnight due to crowded road conditions, accidents and overall gridlock resulting from yesterday's snows.  Many neighbors had long commutes yesterday, but overall, our side of town has fared better than most. As for today, neighborhood streets are navigable and traffic is very light, but there are a lot of icy spots and those who had to head out recommend avoiding the roads if possible. With a current temperature of 13F and an expected high of 33F, it's likely more ice will develop.  Tonight's low is expected to be 18F but Thursday should bring a high of 42F.

AJC: Gridlock continues as unspeakably horrible commute home stretches into hour 18

CNN: Stranded, cold motorists spend nights on freeways after rare snow in South

Facebook:  users are communicating with one another and sharing updates via SnowedOutAtlanta. Lots of stories about folks opening up their homes to strangers, Kroger bringing food to kids stranded in school buses, etc.

For a map showing road conditions, visit GA DOT at http://www.511ga.org/. In the neighborhood, drivers are reporting icy spots so please drive only if you have to, and proceed with caution. Some nearby views below, courtesy of GA DOT cameras:

US78 E at Lawrenceville Hwy. 

US78 E at North Druid Hills Rd.

The following Winter Storm Warning for DeKalb continues until 1pm today (and apologies, for the National Weather Service speaks in ALL CAPS):

Winter Storm Warning for De Kalb, GA

... WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON...

* LOCATIONS... NORTHERN GEORGIA.

* HAZARD TYPES... CONTINUED HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS DUE TO SNOW AND ICE COVERED ROADS.

* ACCUMULATIONS... NO ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS.

* TIMING... NOW THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS... SNOW AND ICE COVERED ROADWAYS WILL MAKE TRAVEL EXTREMELY TREACHEROUS. NUMEROUS VEHICLE ACCIDENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPORTED ACROSS NORTHERN GEORGIA. STAY OFF THE ROADWAYS IF POSSIBLE.

* TEMPERATURES... LOWER 20S INCREASING TO LOWER 30S.

* WIND CHILL VALUES... WITH WINDS OF 5 TO 15 MPH OVERNIGHT... WIND CHILLS WILL BE BETWEEN 5 TO 10 DEGREES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR CONTINUED SNOW AND ICE COVERED ROADS MEANS THAT TRAVEL WILL CONTINUE TO BE DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL... KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT... FOOD... AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

Snow's a-coming

The National Weather Service has the snow arriving after 11am...

Today Snow, mainly after 11am. High near 32. North wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of around an inch possible. 

Tonight Snow, mainly before 1am. Low around 17. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. 

The National Weather Service also has a little history for today: "In 1948, an ice storm that affected states from Arkansas to South Carolina, including Georgia, caused $20 million dollars in damage and resulted in 30 deaths."

Cyclists and pedestrians: be bright!

"The Governor's Office of Highway Safety is urging cyclists and pedestrians to wear reflective gear. 

GOHS officials say there were more than 130 pedestrian fatalities in 2012 and the number accounted for about 11 percent of all traffic deaths that year. Authorities say a majority of cyclist and pedestrian fatalities on a national level happen at night. Officials say about 32 percent happen between 8 p.m. and midnight, and 24 percent happen between midnight and 4 a.m."  Read the rest @ CBS Atlanta

For additional safety tips, visit the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety.

DeKalb Co. School System makes progress with SACS

Goodish news...

"DeKalb has met or made significant progress on the "required actions" to regain full accreditation by SACS, including planning, instituting respect for the superintendent's authority, fiscal discipline and effective deployment of technology..." Read the rest @ AJC

The System still has work to do (its upgraded status is "accredited warned") but it is good to hear that progress is being made.