Nevada State Police, NDOT advise motorists to avoid travel; another storm this weekend
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Thu, 01/11/2024 - 11:29am
With the latest storm having blanketed western Nevada with six inches to a foot or more of snow, and another storm setting up to follow late Friday into Saturday, law enforcement and state transportation officials are urging motorists to take all winter driving safety precautions, including avoiding unnecessary travel.
Nevada State Police Highway Patrol reports numerous spinouts Thursday morning across western and central Nevada. Snow plow operations are in full swing at a state, county and city level, with progress on major highways, though most roadways were not entirely free of snow as of 10 a.m.
Many roadways are snow packed. Chains and snow tires are required. Therefore, motorists should avoid unnecessary travel whenever possible.
Those who must travel are reminded to call 511 and check NVRoads.com for highway conditions beforehand. Particularly in inclement conditions, motorists should drive slowly and leave space between their vehicle and others. Wearing a seat belt and focusing on the road are additional important driving tips for any type of weather.
A winter storm watch is in effect from Friday afternoon through Saturday evening for Lake Tahoe and Sierra. Another 1 to 2 feet of snow is possible with the storm, with winds gusting 40 to 50 mph and gusts 75 along ridge lines.
Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will become slick and hazardous. Forecasters advise to plan on slippery road conditions in the Sierra. The hazardous conditions may impact the weekend ski commutes. Strong winds may cause blowing snow at times with limited visibility, according to the weather service.
Snow levels starting around 4,000 feet on Friday night rising to around 6,000 to 6,500 feet Saturday night. At the time of this writing, there were no watches for Carson City and surrounding counties. That may change. Check back for updates.
For those traveling to Lake Tahoe or over Sierra passes, motorists should consider packing a winter storm kit, including such items as tire chains, booster cables, flashlight, shovel, blankets and extra clothing. Also take water, a first aid kit, and anything else that would help you survive in case you become stuck for several hours.
Statewide, nearly 4,000 crashes occurred in inclement weather between Oct. 1, 2022 and April 30, 2023. This includes 22 crashes involving fatalities. Many of the crashes were due to unsafe driving in snow, ice, and other wet conditions, such as driving too fast for conditions, following too closely, or failing to maintain a lane and overcorrecting.
NDOT is charged with keeping highways safe for drivers by first prioritizing snow removal on major thoroughfares such as interstates, followed by other state roads. Local city and county governments are responsible for snow removal on city streets and county roads. During the last weekend's storm, NDOT maintenance staff placed nearly 60,000 gallons of brine and 900 cubic yards of salt and sand for enhanced snow removal and travel on northern Nevada highways.
Updated state road conditions, including winter road closures and incidents, are available by dialing “511” or logging on to nvroads.com before driving. Drivers can also view live traffic cameras and sign up for free traffic alerts for their state road commute. Winter driving safety tips are available at dot.nv.gov/winter.
WINTER DRIVING TIPS
∙ Only travel in winter weather when necessary, leave enough time to safely reach your destination and plan your route to help avoid snowy/icy areas and steep hills.
∙ Before driving, check weather and road conditions by dialing 511 within Nevada (or 1-877-NV-ROADS outside of Nevada) or logging on to www.nvroads.com.
∙ Share your travel itinerary so others know when to expect you.
∙ Remove snow and ice from all vehicle windows, mirrors, lights, turn signals and license plates.
∙ Buckle up.
∙ Turn on headlights to see and be seen.
∙ Do not rely solely on GPS to find alternate routes, as it could lead to unmaintained roadways or hazardous areas.
∙ Turn off cruise control.
∙ Avoid quick starts, stops and fast turns. Accelerate, brake and steer smoothly and gradually.
∙ Reduce speed. Speed limits are based on normal road and weather conditions, not winter road conditions.
∙ Do not slam on brakes. Apply steady pressure on ABS-equipped (antilock braking system) vehicles and pump the brakes if necessary on non-ABS vehicles.
∙ Always comply with all posted traction device requirements.
∙ If your vehicle has snow tires, install and use them between October 1 and April 30.
∙ Keep additional distance from other vehicles.
∙ Watch carefully for snow removal equipment.
∙ Do not pass without good distance and sight clearance.
∙ Use extra caution on bridges, ramps, overpasses and shaded areas- they may freeze first.
∙ Maintain a high fuel level.
∙ If vehicle begins to skid, steer in direction of slide and slowly remove foot from accelerator.
∙ Be aware of black ice.
∙ If parked or stuck in snow, leave window slightly cracked for ventilation and make sure vehicle exhaust system is clear of snow.
