Greetings From Atlanta

February 18, 2006, 4:58 pm
Posted by James Spann in Weather Discussions
Rating: 0/5   Votes : 0
Greetings from the 17th floor of the Grand Hyatt in Buckhead. We have a great view of downtown Atlanta on this cold and wet day. We have 36 degrees over here with light rain as I write this.

I have been keeping up with developments in Alabama via the cell phone web browser... looks like everything unfolded pretty much as expected. Our forecast for today (the one we have had on the table for days) was for a cold rain for I-20 (Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Anniston), and any icing issues to be north of a line from Sulligent to Jasper to Blount Springs to Jacksonville. I guess the eastern end of the line was a little too far south, but pretty close.

And, the forecast for freezing drizzle looks good for tonight all across North-Central Alabama. Drizzle isn't something to get really excited about, but I have seen that cause hundreds of accidents over the years on Birmingham interstate highways. You crash a $35,000 dollar vehicle into a guard rail on an icy bridge, and freezing drizzle becomes a HUGE deal.

Look for some light drizzle and temperatures in the 28 to 32 degree range late tonight. The radar doesn't have to lit up like a Christmas tree for icy bridges.

Take it easy on the bridges tonight and early tomorrow...

Bill Murray and J.B. will be reviewing the event for late tomorrow night and Monday morning... first glance looks like the best chance of bridge icing early Monday will be along and north of U.S. 278.

And, wow... maybe a severe weather event coming up before the week ahead is finished.

Never a dull moment...

I will be back in Alabama tomorrow night. Stay warm!
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Posted by  
on February 18, 2006, 5:13 pm
James, you guys nailed this one! Great work, guys!

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Posted by  
on February 18, 2006, 5:13 pm
Hope you're enjoying yourself in "Peach World". What brought you to Atlanta anyway this weekend?

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Posted by John T.  
on February 18, 2006, 5:20 pm
Hey James ! over in the big city of Atlanta . Hope you are enjoying yourselves . Bill is doing a super job .

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Posted by Mikey  
on February 18, 2006, 5:24 pm
Buckhead is nice...I hope you're visiting Lenox Mall and Phipps Plaza. There are some great eating places there, too.

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Posted by   www
on February 18, 2006, 5:29 pm
HOT OF THE SCANNER.

Truck and car accident with once person trapped, do to possible icy spots.
I-65 North bound.
Fire/Rescue in route.

155.685Mhz


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Posted by Sherry  
on February 18, 2006, 5:48 pm
Where on I65 N???

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Posted by John T.  
on February 18, 2006, 5:56 pm
Ita 65 N & University Blvd . Downtown B'ham. They have said nothing about ice yet though . Lets NOT get everyone in a panic stage with scanner reports please . Wrecks occur every single day . Rain , dry weather etc .. ( this of course in just my opinion .)

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Posted by   www
on February 18, 2006, 6:05 pm
I had said possibly do to ice, not confirmed. But still people do need to slow down, and pay attention.
I-65 and the University Exit


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Posted by Anna  
on February 18, 2006, 6:08 pm
Great job team....a bit slick around my house as we speak!! Everyone is safe and warm inside...of course, we may have to ice skate off the porch in the morning to go to church!! LOL!!

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Posted by   www
on February 18, 2006, 6:09 pm
Early reports of this accident, dispatcher had reported it was possibly do to ice.

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Posted by  
on February 18, 2006, 6:17 pm
Argus or anyone else who would be concerned. Let the man enjoy a weekend getaway with his family, church, or whatever else he may doing without trying to know his every move. If he wanted everyone to know where he was, then he would have told us on the blog or in his daily weather report.

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Posted by  
on February 18, 2006, 6:19 pm
HEY CJ HOW ABOUT YOU QUIT SPREADING LIES AND FALSE INFORMATION ABOUT ICE!!!!!!

Dude, I'm so totally kidding... Seriously though, ice is definitely possible already in parts of Bham..

Even the official airport Temp is now down to 32!

Be careful folks! We're 35 here in T-town.

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Posted by John T.  
on February 18, 2006, 6:28 pm
Dan . Whom are you referring to . James checked in with us saying hello & where he was . We said hello back & Mikey told him some good places to visit . ??

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Posted by Anna  
on February 18, 2006, 6:50 pm
Very nice freezing rain event at my house right now...you can hear it hitting the metal roof and the windows...pretty to see in the flood light, but not pretty to drive on!!

(Cullman Cty...right on Smith Lake)

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Posted by   www
on February 18, 2006, 6:55 pm
Thanks for the report Anna!

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Posted by   www
on February 18, 2006, 7:13 pm
Here at Black Creek, NE Etowah County I have a steady light freezing rain at 30.9° Radar suggests that it may change over to light snow a little later, but whatever it does it should last a while. The back steps are too slippery to stand on now.

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Posted by  
on February 18, 2006, 7:13 pm
could it be any more disgusting outside here in t-town it is 34 and damp and windy it is nites like this that make you wish it would either snow two feet or be 70 outside does anybody have any updates on the rest of the night i have to go to work at 2:00 am what are the road conditions gonna be? love yall and thanks

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Posted by  
on February 18, 2006, 7:18 pm
Just got back to Winfield (Marion County) from Tuscaloosa...Freezing rain/sleet started as we came into Walker County. We met the sanding trucks on Hwy 118 taking care of the bridges. When we got home, the yard was frozen, the SUV windshield was frozen, the side mirrors, the doors, and the running boards were all coated with ice.

BRRRRRRR!

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Posted by   www
on February 18, 2006, 7:22 pm
EMA reports most roads in Cullman County are becoming very slick.

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Posted by Chris M.  
on February 18, 2006, 7:30 pm
FYI:
Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT)road conditions and closures http://www.dot.state.al.us/closures
Be safe out there!

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Posted by Anna  
on February 18, 2006, 7:30 pm
I noticed what little traffic there is tonight is going very slow around here CJ...precip has slacked off a bit now.

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Posted by Anna  
on February 18, 2006, 7:32 pm
Thks for the link Chris...wondered what it will be like in the morning!!

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Posted by  
on February 18, 2006, 7:36 pm
thanks so much it sucks to have to go to work at 2:00 in the morning is it supposed to rain sleet anymore tonight or is it all going to vanish before it gets to t-town?

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Posted by keith  
on February 18, 2006, 8:08 pm
Tip of the hat to the weather staff- great work!!!

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Posted by Mark  
on February 18, 2006, 8:09 pm
25 degrees and it sounds like they're closing some of the major overpasses in Huntsville.

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Posted by   www
on February 18, 2006, 8:12 pm
Cullman. Co. PD is reportedly closing a few bridges as well.

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Posted by   www
on February 18, 2006, 8:16 pm
Numerous slide offs are now being reported in the Cullman County area.

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Posted by Chris M.  
on February 18, 2006, 8:20 pm
Know what you mean Kristie. I'm a Law Enforcement Officer and have to get up at 5am in the morning and go to work. Hopefully by then most of the slick spots will be identified and/or taken care of.

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Posted by  
on February 18, 2006, 9:09 pm
wouldn't it be nice to be able to sleep at night like normal people do!!! i have to clean the movie theatre all night oh well some people have to take care of things at night don't they be safe and hope you have a quiet night /morning guess not much going on for you at that time. god bless

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Posted by  
on February 18, 2006, 9:23 pm
KBMX has cancelled the Winter WX advisory for pretty much everyone in their northern coverage area. Cullman Co. remains in the advisory area, but they are in the Huntsville NWS coverage area.

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