Road Crews Prepare For Latest Winter Storm
By Tim Jimenez
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Here we ago again. The calendar may have flipped to March, but winter isn't over yet. Road crews are back at it again preparing for yet another round of snow, sleet and freezing rain expected to makes it way across the Philadelphia region Sunday afternoon into Monday morning.
PennDOT spokesman Gene Blaum says roads have been pretreated, but this storm and what's expected to fall has its challenges.
"Because it has the potential to bond instantly to the pavement," Blaum says. "Our expectation is that, on the plus side, the storm will start as snow. So that is a plus. We'll be putting down salt applications as the precipitation begins to fall."
He says the key is the snow falling first, and they'll get their trucks out to apply and reapply the salt, going for the slush, instead of roads. Blaum says this storm makes for 23 that PennDOT has dealt with this winter and the 19th since January 3.
Even with treated roads, though, the weather promises to make for hazardous driving conditions, so motorists are urged to use caution when getting around. Speed restrictions of 35 mph are in place along all DRPA bridges.
If you find yourself skidding, the last thing you should do is slam on you brakes, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.
"You don't want to touch the brakes at all," says spokeswoman Jana Tidwell. "You want to continue to steer in the direction you want to go, let off the gas, let the car correct itself, stop the skid."
She says the storm increases the chances of drivers becoming stuck with nowhere to go on the roads and highways because of accidents. So drivers should be prepared.
"Make sure you have the winter supplies you need in your car," Tidwell says. "Some non-perishable foods, snacks, extra hat, gloves, hats, mittens, all those kinds of things because, nobody ever plans to get stuck."
The latest storm is also impacting travel at Philadelphia International Airport. Dozens of arriving and departing flights had already been cancelled as of early Sunday afternoon. Travelers are urged to check with their airline for the status of their flight by visiting the airport's website or by calling 1800-PHL-GATE.
The ice also means a threat for power outages. PECO spokeswoman Liz Williamson says their emotional response organization is standing by.
"We do have additional crews coming in," she says, "in case we do encounter any outages or issues."
And if your power goes out, Williamson says let PECO know immediately by calling 1-800-841-4141.
"Don't assume that your neighbors have called or that we automatically know your service is out. The more customers that call, that helps us dispatch our crews more efficiently."