ATLANTA — Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport said it's preparing for this weekend's anticipated winter weather. According to a release from Hartsfield-Jackson, it started prepping for a wintry mix of rain, ice and snow on Wednesday. The airport will monitor the winter weather threat between Saturday evening and Monday morning.
Hartsfield-Jackson officials said all of the airport's facilities are prepared for fueling operations, snow and ice removal, implementing 12-hour shifts for its staff, and facilitating de-icing requests from airlines.
“Just over a month ago, we conducted our annual winter weather training exercise in preparation for the winter season,” Airport General Manager Balram “B” Bheodari said. “Our dedicated staff is working diligently to keep any impact to operations at a minimum and to ensure the airfield remains open and operational.”
The airport's annual training for emergency weather preparedness included training with its partners at the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and the National Weather Service (NWS).
Hartsfield-Jackson officials said the following winter weather resources are available on-site for deployment at the airport:
- 9 liquid deicing brine trucks
- 6 solid deicing spreaders
- 4 solid deicing trucks
- 8 snow brooms
- 13,000 gallons of liquid brine
- 95,000 gallons of liquid deicer
- 360 55-pound bags of solid deicer
- 74 1-ton bags of solid deicer
- 15 tons of sand/salt mix
According to the release, passengers should arrive at least two hours ahead of their flight due to the changing weather conditions.
"In the event that airlines have cancelations and/or delays, we strongly encourage passengers to check with their airlines for the most up-to-date flight information and monitor the airport’s social media channels," Hartsfield-Jackson said in its release.
