Indiana, PA – Ahead of the anticipated weekend weather which may include icy and snowy conditions, cold temperatures, and high winds Friday through Saturday, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) District 10 is encouraging motorists to practice safe winter driving practices during their travels if travelling is a necessity.
District 10 (Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Indiana, and Jefferson Counties) is actively monitoring projected weekend precipitation types, rates, and times to determine the best treatments for roadways. Crews will be pre-treating roadways where necessary ahead of the storm to help prevent ice from forming a bond with the pavement as temperatures drop dramatically this weekend. Examples of when crews will not pre-treat include when a storm is forecast to start as rain (rain will wash the material away) or when there is enough salt residue on the roadway from a previous storm. However, salt is not a silver bullet, and drivers may encounter icy spots on the roadway. With freezing temperatures, roads that look wet may be icy, and extra caution is needed when approaching bridges and highway ramps where ice can form without warning.
PennDOT crews will be pre-treating roadways where necessary ahead of the storm to help prevent ice from forming a bond with the pavement as temperatures drop dramatically this weekend. Examples of when crews will not pre-treat include when a storm is forecast to start as rain (rain will wash the material away) or when there is enough salt residue on the roadway from a previous storm. However, salt is not a silver bullet, and drivers may encounter icy spots on the roadway. With freezing temperatures, roads that look wet may be icy, and extra caution is needed when approaching bridges and highway ramps where ice can form without warning.
Watch for "black ice," a condition occurring on clear roadways when a thin layer of ice forms due to dropping temperatures. When the road looks wet, but no spray is coming from the tires of other vehicles, "black ice" may be present.
When roads get slick, you should:
- On packed snow, decrease your speed by half. On ice, slow to a crawl. Leave more space than normal between you and the vehicle ahead.
- Apply brakes gently, ease off if you start to skid and reapply when you regain control.
- Do not use your cruise control when driving on slippery roads. Snow, ice, slush, and rain can cause wheel-spin and loss of control. The only way to stop wheel spin and regain control is to reduce power. But an activated cruise control system will continue to apply power, keeping your wheels spinning.
Snow flurries and blowing snow can limit your visibility. To increase your ability to see when driving in snowy conditions, do these six things:
- Clear all the windows, hood, trunk, and roof of your vehicle before starting to drive in the snow.
- Clear your headlights, taillights and signals of snow, ice, and dirt. This helps other drivers see you and helps you see what is ahead.
- Let the engine warm up before you start driving. It gives the defroster a chance to warm the windshield and melt any ice you could not scrape off.
- Use your windshield wipers to keep your windshield as clear as possible. Make sure your windshield washer reservoir is full, and you are using fluid that will not freeze.
- Keep the defroster on to clear steamed windows. If you have a newer vehicle, your defroster may be part of your air conditioning system. Read your owner's manual to learn how your vehicle's defroster settings should be used.
- Turn on your low beams, even during the daytime. Motorists are required to turn on their headlights anytime their windshield wipers are in continuous or intermittent use due to weather conditions. Daytime running lights are not enough.
In the event of vehicle and/or speed restrictions, information will be communicated via variable message boards, the 511PA traveler information website and smartphone apps. Motorists can also sign up for personalized alerts on the website.
On roadways where vehicles are not restricted, commercial vehicle drivers are encouraged to exercise caution in high winds. Drivers should ensure their loads are secure, reduce speeds, increase following distance, and use flashers if necessary.
Motorists are reminded that roadways will not be free of snow while precipitation is falling. If snow is falling at 1 inch per hour, for example, and a truck takes three hours to return to the start of its route, 3 inches of new snow has fallen.
To help make decisions regarding winter travel, motorists are encouraged to "Know Before You Go" by checking conditions on Pennsylvania roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts.
Users can also see plow truck routes/locations along a specific route in 511PA using the "Check My Route" tool. Plow truck locations will be indicated by dots along a roadway. The time it takes for a plow truck to pass by the same point on the route depends on how heavy precipitation is and how much traffic is on the roadway. During a heavy and/or steady snowstorm, if snow is falling at one inch per hour and a truck route takes three hours to complete, three new inches of snow has fallen at the start of its route before the route is finished. Crews continue to complete routes throughout the storm, but roadways will not be free of snow or ice during the storm.
Subscribe to PennDOT news in in Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Indiana, and Jefferson counties at www.PennDOT.pa.gov/District10.
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