PennDOT ready for quick-hitting wintry mix
DOYLESTOWN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- PennDOT crews in southeastern Pennsylvania are preparing for a nuisance winter storm that will bring a wintry mix to parts of the region Monday night.
While the AccuWeather team doesn't expect a lot of snow to accumulate, they do expect some icy spots in parts of the region overnight.
If you do have to go to work or be on the roads, AAA recommends taking it slow, keeping your distance from other cars on the roadways and crews salting the streets.
"Any precipitation that you see on the road, it may look like a puddle, it may look like a sheen on the road, it may not look like anything much at all, however motorists should err on the side of caution and slow down," said Jana Tidwell, a spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic.
It's especially important to watch out for black ice, which is why AAA is urging drivers to fill up their gas tanks in case there are accidents.
"It only takes one crash, unfortunately, to back up a road for minutes or even hours, so AAA always urges motorists to pack a vehicle emergency kit," said Tidwell.
Ron Young, a spokesman for PennDOT, said, for the six-county area, they are prepared with 280 trucks already dumping brine and salt on the roadways. The process started up again around midnight.
While driving Tuesday morning his advice is to take it slow.
"We want everyone to use extra caution, stay home. The biggest thing is to go slower. Most people think because if it feels wet or just slushy they can go faster. They get a little false sense of confidence and that can be a dangerous thing," said Young.
He specifically named I-78, Routes 22 and 309 as roadways they'll be monitoring.
"We're in a region where one minute you can be driving and it's OK and the next minute you can have snow or ice coming down. We tell people once you're north of Lansdale, it's a much different world," said Young.
In Lehigh County, Thomas Pany, of Pany Concrete Form Inc. was helping to lay salt in parking lots ahead of the storm.
"I'm a foundation contractor, so this is sort of supplemental income. It's good to come out and get some exercise," said Pany.
