Waking up Saturday to wintry mix in Delaware Valley

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Sunday, December 18, 2016
Waking up Saturday to wintry mix in Delaware Valley
PennDOT began brining and salting the roads Friday in anticipation of the early Saturday morning snow.

KING OF PRUSSIA (WPVI) -- At first it started as snow.

In Upper Darby it was falling fast. On City Ave. in Philadelphia, too.

It was coming down all over the Delaware Valley.

Then the snow turned to freezing rain, and things got ugly.

"It was very treacherous today. It was probably the worst driving I've had in a couple of years," said Rob Fluehr of Glenside.

Rob Fluehr was up early to take his son to a basketball tournament.

His side view mirror proof of the harsh, sticky, freezing rain conditions.

"Forty-five miles an hour on the turnpike probably was too fast," said Fluehr.

Crews prepared for the storm in advance.

The City of Philadelphia prepared 70 trucks with salt.

PennDOT tapped 340 trucks in the area to clear the roads.

But first, with heavy snow and then freezing rain, there only so much that could be done.

A line for tire air at the Wawa in King of Prussia was several cars deep.

Drivers say once they hit the roads, they started sliding and wanted to make their cars as safe as possible.

"We gotta travel to Maryland today, so I wanted to make sure the car was ready," said Rich Clark of Valley Forge.

After a storm like this, all motorists are reminded to keep safe on the roads.