RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) mobilized equipment and crews Saturday in preparation for the winter weather that is forecasted to affect the Richmond area between the afternoon hours and early Sunday morning.
Since the storm will begin as a rain event, VDOT will not be able to pretreat roads, as any moisture will wash away pretreatment materials.
VDOT says it will treat the roads once icy precipitation begins.
The storm may result in dangerous driving conditions, particularly on bridges, overpasses, curves, hills and ramps, as temperatures are expected to stay below freezing. Moisture on the road surface and falling temperatures may cause ice patches to form overnight and into tomorrow.
VDOT offered the following tips for driving in winter weather:
- Slow down and allow extra time to reach your destination.
- Be alert to potential driving hazards including downed branches, trees and power lines due to high winds.
- Keep a safe distance of at least five seconds behind other vehicles and snowplows.
- Do not pass a snowplow unless it is absolutely necessary. Remember, the plow is clearing a path for you.
- If you begin to skid, do not brake. Take your foot off the gas and steer the vehicle in the direction you want to go.
VDOT is also advising that motorists be aware of high winds.
Motorists are recommended to do the following:
- Watch for high winds – 40 to 50 miles per hour beginning later today through Sunday morning; high winds are likely to cause downed trees and power lines and traffic signal outages
- Prepare for extreme cold temperatures, less than 20 degrees with high wind chills
- Ensure you and your vehicle are prepared to travel in extreme weather conditions; have extra blankets, food, water and backup power for phones
- Drive with extreme caution as snow and moisture on the road will freeze causing slick driving conditions, particularly on bridges, overpasses and shady areas
- Monitor weather reports
- Visit http://www.511virginia.org for the latest road conditions
- Call VDOT’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-367-ROAD (7623) to report downed trees, debris traffic outages.
You can also stay informed by monitoring WTVR.com.
