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Shelby
- N.C. Department of Transportation crews are
clearing roads of snow and ice today after a late-winter storm dumped several
inches of snow onto parts of northwestern North Carolina.
NCDOT 's Division 11
(Alleghany, Avery, Ashe, Caldwell, Surry, Wilkes, Watauga and Yadkin
counties) received an average of 4 inches of snow, with some parts of Wilkes
County receiving 6 inches. Some interstates and primary routes in the region
remain partially covered with snow and ice, while most secondary roads are
covered with snow and ice.
Crews will work today to
clear roads, beginning with interstates, four-lane divided highways and other
primary routes. They will progress to secondary routes as soon as possible.
This morning, precipitation
across Division 11 switched over to rain, and temperatures climbed a few
degrees above freezing. These improving conditions will help crews as they
continue their snow-clearing efforts across the region.
NCDOT offers these tips for
safe driving during winter weather:
- Clear
windows and mirrors;
- Reduce
speed and leave plenty of room between you and other vehicles;
- Approach
bridges and overpasses with extreme caution and do not apply your brakes
while on a bridge 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 trying to stop;
- If
you have a cellular phone, take it with you. You can contact the Highway
Patrol statewide by calling *HP (*47) or call law enforcement in the
event of an emergency by dialing 911; and
- Travelers
are asked NOT to call 911 or the State Highway Patrol for road
conditions. The lines must remain clear for emergency calls.
For real-time travel
information at any time, call 511, visit www.ncdot.gov/travel
or follow NCDOT on Twitter at
www.ncdot.gov/travel/twitter. Another option is NCDOT Mobile, a phone-friendly
version of the NCDOT website. To access it, type "m.ncdot.gov"
into the browser of your smartphone and bookmark it to save for future use.
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