The N.C. Department of Transportation today released the following advisory about the winter weather forecast for this weekend.
Central North Carolina
The central part of the state is forecasted to see snow and ice from this storm. To prepare, crews in many counties have already started pre-treating the highways. They plan to continue spraying salt brine on these heavily traveled roads until precipitation starts falling.
Crews are also checking equipment such as plows and spreaders and preparing to work special shifts to conduct snow removal.
Eastern North Carolina
The storm is expected to generate a wintry mix in Eastern North Carolina. Crews are pre-treating the primary routes in counties forecasted to get more than just rain. Crews throughout the region will remain on standby until the storm is over. During their shifts, they will check equipment to ensure it is ready for use.
Snow Clearing Policy
The department prioritizes which roads are cleared first, focusing on strategic corridors such as interstates and other multi-lane primary routes that are essential to the movement of intrastate and regional traffic.
The DOT then works to clear lower-volume primary roads and secondary roads and then subdivision streets.
Driving Tips
Motorists are asked to give snow plows and other DOT equipment plenty of room and to avoid unnecessary travel, both for their safety and to give crews time to clear the affected roadways. If travel is absolutely necessary, motorists should use the following precautions:
• Clear windows and mirrors.
• Reduce speed and leave plenty of room between you and other vehicles.
• Bridges and overpasses accumulate ice first. Approach them with extreme caution and do not apply your brakes while on the bridge.
• If you begin to slide, take your foot off the gas and turn the steering wheel in the direction of the slide. Do not apply the brakes as that will cause further loss of control of the car.
• Come to a complete stop or yield the right-of-way when approaching an intersection where traffic lights are out. Treat this scenario as a four-way stop.
• If you have a cellular phone, take it with you; you can contact the Highway Patrol statewide by calling HP (*47) or call the county emergency center by dialing 911.
For real-time information on road conditions, visit www.ncdot.gov/traffictravel/ or call 511, the state’s free travel-information line. The DOT also provides alerts about road conditions on Twitter. To access them, go to www.ncdot.gov/travel/twitter/.
