ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) is preparing for another winter weather event expected to have impacts across much of the state, beginning during the early morning hours of Saturday, January 31. The storm is forecast to bring light to significant snowfall across northeast, east, southeast and central Georgia, including the metro Atlanta area.
Forecasts indicate this will be a snow event, with impacts expected across a large portion of Georgia. As a result, Georgia DOT is implementing a statewide response, repositioning crews, equipment, and materials into areas expected to be hardest hit to ensure the most effective response possible.
Pretreatment Operations
For most of the affected region, brine operations will begin at 7 a.m. Friday, January 30, in advance of expected snowfall; in metro Atlanta, brine operations will begin at 10 p.m. this evening. Georgia DOT crews will focus on interstates and critical and high-priority routes, followed by treatment of additional routes as conditions allow.
Georgia DOT has replenished the brine used before and during last weekend’s storm and is prepared once again with nearly two million gallons of brine statewide to treat roads before and during this storm, with the capacity to make an additional 50,000 gallons per hour.
In the areas expected to experience the greatest impacts, Georgia DOT will brine outside lanes and ramps only on interstates, including:
Resource Management and Lane Prioritization
Due to the size of this storm and the anticipated impacts, Georgia DOT will manage its resources to ensure maximum possible statewide coverage. On interstates:
Georgia DOT is prepared with approximately 570 snow removal units statewide, including 439 snowplows that also function as spreaders and dump trucks, plus an additional 130 heavy-duty pickups equipped with plows and spreaders. These units will remain active throughout the storm to help keep interstates and critical routes passable.
Once plowing begins, Georgia DOT crews will continue plowing during the storm and after snowfall ends. Due to the nature of this storm — including large, fluffy snowflakes combined with extremely low temperatures — accumulation is expected to continue even after routes have been treated and plowed.
Motorists should not expect roadways to remain clear during the heaviest snowfall, even after plows have passed. Georgia DOT trucks will remain on the roads throughout and following the storm to ensure routes are cleared as quickly and safely as possible.
Additional Support and Motorist Safety
Contractor forces will supplement Georgia DOT crews and equipment statewide. Motorists should plan now to watch for and be mindful of brine trucks and snowplows beginning Friday morning.
Georgia DOT urges the public to remain aware of weather alerts and avoid travel whenever possible on Saturday and Sunday. Keeping traffic off the roads while crews are treating and plowing allows operations to be more effective and is the safest option for everyone. Motorists who must travel should exercise extreme caution, reduce speeds, and allow extra stopping distance on snow-covered roads.
HERO and CHAMP units are prepared to shift to 24-hour operations, patrolling interstates and assisting stranded motorists as conditions allow. Motorists in need of assistance should call 511.
Motorists are also reminded that local and county roads are typically the responsibility of local governments, and treatment plans for those routes may differ from Georgia DOT’s operations on state routes and interstates. Drivers should check with local officials for current conditions and treatment plans on local and county roadways before traveling.
Georgia DOT recognizes that many Georgians are already fatigued by back-to-back winter storms and repeated requests to stay off the roads. However, the department asks for patience one more weekend and encourages the public to stay home and enjoy the snow.
Express Lanes
Georgia Express Lanes operations will be monitored closely. Closures may occur depending on storm impacts and road conditions; Georgia DOT will issue updates on Express Lanes closures as they occur.
Stay Informed
GDOT will continue to monitor conditions statewide and respond as needed. Drivers should expect to see Georgia DOT crews pretreating the areas in preparation of the incoming weather. Drivers should allow extra time, reduce speeds and stay alert for crews providing them additional room to work safely. Motorists should continue to stay informed by checking 511ga.org for up-to-the-minute road conditions, closures or to report an incident. Motorists are also encouraged to stay informed and check road conditions before traveling by contacting 511GA for up-to-the-minute information or to report an incident. Motorists in need of assistance can also request HERO (Highway Emergency Response Operator) or CHAMP (Coordinated Highway Assistance and Maintenance Patrol) assistance by contacting 511GA.
Updates via Social Media
For the latest real-time updates and travel advisories, motorists are encouraged follow Georgia DOT on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram for continuing updates as the storm develops. Georgia DOT will continue to monitor conditions closely and provide updates as the winter storm continues.
Forecasts indicate this will be a snow event, with impacts expected across a large portion of Georgia. As a result, Georgia DOT is implementing a statewide response, repositioning crews, equipment, and materials into areas expected to be hardest hit to ensure the most effective response possible.
Pretreatment Operations
For most of the affected region, brine operations will begin at 7 a.m. Friday, January 30, in advance of expected snowfall; in metro Atlanta, brine operations will begin at 10 p.m. this evening. Georgia DOT crews will focus on interstates and critical and high-priority routes, followed by treatment of additional routes as conditions allow.
Georgia DOT has replenished the brine used before and during last weekend’s storm and is prepared once again with nearly two million gallons of brine statewide to treat roads before and during this storm, with the capacity to make an additional 50,000 gallons per hour.
In the areas expected to experience the greatest impacts, Georgia DOT will brine outside lanes and ramps only on interstates, including:
- I-75 from the Tennessee state line to Macon
- I-85 from metro Atlanta to South Carolina
- I-20 through and east of Atlanta to the state line
- I-16 and I-95
Resource Management and Lane Prioritization
Due to the size of this storm and the anticipated impacts, Georgia DOT will manage its resources to ensure maximum possible statewide coverage. On interstates:
- Crews will prioritize outside lanes only to help keep all interstates passable.
- On multi-lane interstates, the two outside lanes and ramps will be treated.
- On interstates with two lanes in each direction, the outside lane and ramps will be treated.
Georgia DOT is prepared with approximately 570 snow removal units statewide, including 439 snowplows that also function as spreaders and dump trucks, plus an additional 130 heavy-duty pickups equipped with plows and spreaders. These units will remain active throughout the storm to help keep interstates and critical routes passable.
Once plowing begins, Georgia DOT crews will continue plowing during the storm and after snowfall ends. Due to the nature of this storm — including large, fluffy snowflakes combined with extremely low temperatures — accumulation is expected to continue even after routes have been treated and plowed.
Motorists should not expect roadways to remain clear during the heaviest snowfall, even after plows have passed. Georgia DOT trucks will remain on the roads throughout and following the storm to ensure routes are cleared as quickly and safely as possible.
Additional Support and Motorist Safety
Contractor forces will supplement Georgia DOT crews and equipment statewide. Motorists should plan now to watch for and be mindful of brine trucks and snowplows beginning Friday morning.
Georgia DOT urges the public to remain aware of weather alerts and avoid travel whenever possible on Saturday and Sunday. Keeping traffic off the roads while crews are treating and plowing allows operations to be more effective and is the safest option for everyone. Motorists who must travel should exercise extreme caution, reduce speeds, and allow extra stopping distance on snow-covered roads.
HERO and CHAMP units are prepared to shift to 24-hour operations, patrolling interstates and assisting stranded motorists as conditions allow. Motorists in need of assistance should call 511.
Motorists are also reminded that local and county roads are typically the responsibility of local governments, and treatment plans for those routes may differ from Georgia DOT’s operations on state routes and interstates. Drivers should check with local officials for current conditions and treatment plans on local and county roadways before traveling.
Georgia DOT recognizes that many Georgians are already fatigued by back-to-back winter storms and repeated requests to stay off the roads. However, the department asks for patience one more weekend and encourages the public to stay home and enjoy the snow.
Express Lanes
Georgia Express Lanes operations will be monitored closely. Closures may occur depending on storm impacts and road conditions; Georgia DOT will issue updates on Express Lanes closures as they occur.
Stay Informed
GDOT will continue to monitor conditions statewide and respond as needed. Drivers should expect to see Georgia DOT crews pretreating the areas in preparation of the incoming weather. Drivers should allow extra time, reduce speeds and stay alert for crews providing them additional room to work safely. Motorists should continue to stay informed by checking 511ga.org for up-to-the-minute road conditions, closures or to report an incident. Motorists are also encouraged to stay informed and check road conditions before traveling by contacting 511GA for up-to-the-minute information or to report an incident. Motorists in need of assistance can also request HERO (Highway Emergency Response Operator) or CHAMP (Coordinated Highway Assistance and Maintenance Patrol) assistance by contacting 511GA.
Updates via Social Media
For the latest real-time updates and travel advisories, motorists are encouraged follow Georgia DOT on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram for continuing updates as the storm develops. Georgia DOT will continue to monitor conditions closely and provide updates as the winter storm continues.