Hoosiers
Warned of Blowing Snow, Urged to Monitor Weather Forecasts
The National Weather Service is
predicting heavy snow on Wednesday through Thursday and has declared a Winter
Storm Watch for 27 northern and western Indiana counties. The rest of the state
will see varying levels of snow and wintry mix.
Monitor weather forecasts
The Indiana Department of
Transportation urges drivers to monitor evolving weather forecasts as there is
still some uncertainty as to the location and amount of snowfall.
INDOT maintenance supervisors will
closely monitor temperatures and storm radar to deploy yellow salt trucks just
before rain transitions to snow, sleet and ice on state highways. Trained
employees are on call to plow interstates, U.S. highways and state routes
around the clock with alternating shifts of 12 hours or more. Each plow route
takes 2-3 hours to complete with salt assisting in melting between passes.
High winds, snow squalls
Weather forecasts are predicting winds
gusting up to 40 mph and potential snow squalls, especially across northern
Indiana, on Wednesday night into Thursday. Blowing snow reduces visibility and increases
the chance for multi-vehicle crashes.
Drivers who encounter such storms
should immediately take the following steps to improve safety:
- Before
you depart, fully clear off your front and rear windshields and side
mirrors.
- Choose
direct routes instead of longer trips on higher-speed roads and highways.
- Take your
foot off the gas and turn off cruise control, especially on high-speed
highways. No one should be traveling at interstate speeds during winter
weather. Law enforcement will be writing citations for drivers going
faster than conditions merit and putting others in harm’s way.
- Use your
low-beam lamps if your vehicle is equipped.
- Increase
following distance so you can barely see the taillights of any vehicles in
front of you.
- Turn on
emergency flashers if you are stopped or traveling slower than other
vehicles.
- If you
need to stop, try to exit or turn off the main highway. If you must stop
on the shoulders, pull as far away from the travel lanes as possible.
- Regularly
fill your gas tank and charge your mobile phone.
- Apply
anti-lock brakes firmly. Pump brakes that are not anti-lock.
- Do not
overcorrect with steering.
Know before you go
There are several state resources
that drivers can access to “know before you go”:
- Counties
post travel advisories as new information is available to http://in.gov/dhs/traveladvisory
or the Indiana Travel Advisory app for iPhone or Android.
- INDOT
maintenance staff report color-coded winter driving conditions on INDOT’s
TrafficWise map at http://indot.carsprogram.org.
Road conditions are defined as: (1) Gray: Good, the road is clear (2)
Blue: Fair, speed is reduced due to isolated patches of snow and ice, and
(3) Violet: Difficult or hazardous, speed is reduced due to snow and/or
ice covered pavement
- Dial
INDOT's hotline toll-free at 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) or 511 from a mobile
phone.
- Find your
regional INDOT district on Facebook and Twitter at http://in.gov/indot/3074.htm.
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