Is Georgia ready for the snowstorm this time?

photo Georgia Department of Transportation workers and city of Conyers employees prepare materials for the roads for the approaching winter weather at a salt barn Monday. On Monday, officials were quick to act as the winter weather zeroed in. Before a single drop of freezing rain or snow fell, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal had declared a state of emergency for nearly a third of the state, schools canceled classes and workers were told to stay home

ATLANTA - Just two weeks ago, Atlanta became a national punch line when a few inches of snow crippled the city. Comedians said the gridlocked highways looked more like a zombie apocalypse than the South's bustling business hub.

On Monday, officials were quick to act as the winter weather zeroed in, determined not be the butt of jokes like the "Saturday Night Live" parody that referred to the "devil's dandruff" and "Yankee's slush." Before a single drop of freezing rain or snow fell, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal had declared a state of emergency for nearly a third of the state, schools canceled classes and workers were staying home.

Still, people were skeptical the state would be better prepared this time.

"I'm not counting on it. I've been in Georgia on and off for 20 years. It's usually the same scenario, not enough preparations and not enough equipment," said Terri Herod, who bought a large bag of sand and a shovel at a Home Depot. She said her sister told her to also buy kitty litter in case her car gets stuck on an ice patch.

The memories of the last storm were too fresh for some. Late last month, students were trapped on buses or at schools and thousands of cars were abandoned along highways as short commutes turned into odysseys. One woman gave birth on a jammed interstate.

This storm could be worse. A one-two punch of winter weather was expected for Atlanta and northern Georgia. Rain and snow were forecast today, followed by sleet and freezing rain Wednesday. Downed power lines and icy roads were a major worry. Salt trucks and snow plows were ready to roll, and the National Guard has 1,400 four-wheeled drive vehicles to help anyone stranded.

Other parts of the South were expected to get hit, as well. Alabama, which saw stranded vehicles and had 10,000 students spend the night in schools during the January storm, was likely to get a wintry mix of precipitation. Parts of Mississippi could see 3 inches of snow, and a blast of snow over a wide section of Kentucky slickened roads and closed several school districts. South Carolina, which hasn't seen a major ice storm in nearly a decade, could get a quarter to three-quarters of an inch of ice.

Atlanta has a long and painful history of being ill-equipped to deal with snowy weather, and people were not taking any chances, even though officials promised the response would be different this time.

"We're not looking back, we're looking forward," Deal said. "The next three days are going to be challenging. We want to make sure we are as prepared as possible."

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