PennDOT Reminds Motorists of Strategies During Winter Storms
CLEARFIELD– With a winter weather event consisting of snow, sleet, and freezing rain in the forecast for Wednesday night into Thursday morning, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) in District 2, which consists of Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Juniata, McKean, Mifflin, and Potter counties, is reminding motorists of its strategies for keeping its roadways passable and as safe as possible during the storm.
“Crews will be out pretreating every route in the district with salt brine ahead of this storm,” said PennDOT District 2 Assistant District Executive Damon Wagner. “Salt brine delays ice from forming a bond with the roadway surface and creating hazardous travel conditions.”
Wagner reminded drivers, however, that brine does not guarantee the roads won’t be icy. “Our best advice remains to postpone any unnecessary travel until a storm is over. If you must travel, slow down and increase your following distance.”
Wagner said that crews will begin by treating lower traffic volume routes first and then transitioning to higher speed routes and Interstates. He said treating the lower volume routes first decreases the chances of salt and anti-skid being swept off the higher volume roadways before precipitation begins.
Once the storm has begun, crews will begin applying more salt to the roadways. Trucks typically drop a 25 percent salt, 75 percent anti-skid mix during a snowstorm. Wagner said crews will switch to a 50-50 mix for this event to maintain a layer of snow and slush on the roadway. That layer will help prevent ice from bonding to the roadway surface.
During a storm, PennDOT prioritizes Interstates and National Highway System routes such as Route 219 or Route 322. PennDOT uses this strategy partially because salt is most effective when traffic is crushing and spreading it on the road.
For this storm, Wagner said additional operators are being assigned to the Interstates. This will allow operators to shorten their routes with the goal of reducing their cycle times. A typical cycle time on the Interstates is around 60 minutes. The goal for this storm is to reduce cycle times to around 30 minutes.
Wagner also noted PennDOT will be stationing brine tankers strategically along the interstates so that more brine can be applied as needed.
Motorists are reminded that roadways will not be free of snow while precipitation is falling. With freezing temperatures, roads that look wet may actually be icy, and extra caution is needed when approaching bridges and highway ramps where ice can form without warning.
PennDOT also asks motorists to allow plenty of space when driving near plow trucks. Also, for their own safety and the safety of plow operators, motorists should never attempt to pass a truck while it is plowing or spreading winter materials.
While PennDOT recommends not traveling during winter storms, motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, 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 X alerts.
PennDOT reminds motorists to pack an emergency kit for their vehicles. A basic kit should include phone chargers, non-perishable food, water, blanket, small shovel and warm clothes. When preparing an emergency kit, motorists should take into account special needs of passengers such as baby food, pet supplies or medications and pack accordingly.
PennDOT also reminds citizens that downloadable materials, including home and car emergency kit checklists and emergency plan templates, are available at www.Ready.PA.gov.
For more winter driving tips and information on how PennDOT treats winter storms, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/winter.Foll
PennDOT’s media center offers resources for organizations, community groups, or others who share safety information with their stakeholders. Social-media-sized graphics highlighting winter safety are among the available options.
CONTACT: Timothy Nebgen, tnebgen@pa.gov or 814-765-0598
