VDOT advises against travel during Saturday snow, ice storm

The Virginia Department of Transportation advises people not to travel on Saturday in the Shenandoah Valley region. A potent winter storm is forecast to arrive in the Shenandoah Valley possibly during the pre-dawn hours and continue throughout the day with predicted snowfall totals ranging from three to seven inches. The weather system will bring snow, then freezing rain then rain.

As a result of the rain event, motorists should also be aware for possible flooding.   Motorists should not attempt to cross roads covered with water.

The VDOT Staunton District will deploy 900 pieces of equipment to plow and treat the roadways. Crew deployment will begin overnight.  Equipment will be staged to begin treating roads as conditions warrant.

Motorists are advised to park off the street if possible to make room for plows.

Motorists should keep in mind the following safety tips:

• Keep your car’s windows, mirrors and lights clear of snow and ice.
• Always wear your seat belt.
• Leave a few minutes early.
• Be aware of potentially icy areas such as shady spots and bridges.
• Keep a safe distance of at least five seconds behind other vehicles and trucks that are plowing the road.
• Don’t pass a snowplow or spreader unless it is absolutely necessary. Treat these as you would emergency-response vehicles.
• Drive smart and pay close attention. Don’t text and drive – it’s a secondary offense in Virginia.

For winter weather road conditions go to www.511Virginia.org, look at the orange bar on the top of the page and click on “Text Views” and then click on “Road Condition Table”. Look at the pull down box that lists all jurisdictions.  In this box individual counties can be chosen to view.

Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511. Traffic alerts and traveler information also are available at 511Virginia.org. For other assistance call the VDOT Customer Service Center, available 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week. Citizens can dial 1-800-FOR- ROAD (1-800-367-7623) from anywhere in the state to report road hazards, ask transportation questions, or get information related to Virginia’s roads.

The Staunton District Twitter feed is at @VaDOTStaunton. VDOT can be followed on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube. RSS feeds are also available for statewide information. The VDOT Web page is located atwww.VirginiaDOT.org.

The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.