Last Updated on March 7, 2014 11:15 am
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.
