Raleigh -NCDOT crews in Division 5,
which includes Wake and Durham counties, are ready to deal with another round
of winter weather. With the forecast calling for a mixture of rain and sleet
and possibly some very light snow, crews have equipment and supplies ready to go.
Because the weather came in first as rain, brining ahead of time wasn't a viable
option.
The biggest traffic impact from the weather is expected to
be overnight into Tuesday morning, when overnight temperatures in the high
teens will turn any water and slush on the roadways into ice. The forecast
indicates that in the Triangle area the temperature won't be above freezing
until at least late morning, which means there could be considerable icing of
the roads through the morning.
In Wake County, 50 trucks are available through the rest
of today, with an overnight force of 24 trucks to work on roads overnight with
salt and sand where needed. The dayside force of 50 trucks will be back at work
at 4 a.m. in time for Tuesday morning rush hour, and will work through the day.
Durham County has 24 trucks ready for any road cleanup through
the rest of today. A smaller number will keep tabs on roads overnight, then the
bigger group returns early Tuesday morning.
The same plans are in place for the other counties in
Division 5, which includes Franklin, Vance, Warren, Granville and Person.
However, because snow is a possibility to the north, there may be some plowing
needed along key roads as you get close to the Virginia line.
The NCDOT Bare Pavement snow/ice clearing plan remains in
effect. It requires all interstate and primary roads to be cleared before crews
move onto the roads that carry less traffic. That is still a considerable amount of
roadway, as Wake has 1,448 lane miles of interstates and primary roads and Durham
has 586 lane miles.
Because of the potentially dangerous conditions of
roadways, especially late tonight and well into Tuesday morning, the NCDOT
reminds drivers that if they don't have to go out, it will be safer to stay
home.
NCDOT has produced several videos showing how maintenance
crews use salt and sand to contend with snow and ice, and how crews determine
the order in which they clear roads. These videos and many others are available
on the NCDOT YouTube page.
NCDOT offers the following safety tips for driving in
winter weather:
- Clear
windows and mirrors of ice before driving;
- Reduce
speed and leave plenty of room between you and other vehicles in case
either vehicle goes into a skid;
- Plan for
significant additional travel time to reach your destination.
- Approach
bridges and overpasses them with extreme caution and do not apply your
brakes while on a bridge or ramp unless necessary;
- 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
in case any vehicles coming from other directions lose control of their
vehicles while also trying to stop; and
- If you
have a cell phone, take it with you. You can contact the Highway Patrol
statewide by calling *HP (*47) or call law enforcement by dialing 911. But
please don't call 911 to check on road conditions. That line is for
emergencies only.
For real-time travel information at any time, call 511,
visit