With winter weather expected to impact the entire state through Tuesday, Feb. 16, PennDOT is advising drivers to be prepared for snow, ice and rain conditions – and to postpone travel if possible.
“Exactly how much snow or ice any given region will see will vary through the storm, but it’s certain that the forecast could mean potentially hazardous travel through tomorrow,” PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards said in a press release. “We expect that much of the state will see some sort of icing overnight – that, combined with nighttime visibility, means drivers should consider postponing any unnecessary trips.”
PennDOT crews treated roadways through the weekend and could face anything from up to a foot of snow to half an inch of ice with this storm. The department has more than 2,200 trucks, plows and salt spreaders operated by 4,800 department operators statewide who will operate continued shifts through the storm.
With each operator having an average of 40 miles to cover on a plow route, motorists are reminded that roads will not be free of ice and snow during the storm. On interstates and expressways during a low-accumulation storm, it can take two or more hours for a truck to return to the beginning of its route, the release said.
Since trucks are often moved from other roads to these priority highways, especially with higher accumulations or icy conditions, drivers should expect that lower-traffic roads would see a plow cycle every several hours.
Motorists are also urged to check www.511PA.com before making any travel decisions. 511PA is a free, around-the-clock service offering travel information such as incidents, any speed or vehicle restrictions, winter road conditions and more than 700 traffic cameras. The public can also track more than 700 department and contracted trucks on interstates and expressways statewide with the site’s “Plow Trucks” option.
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