NOAA has declared this week “Winter Weather Preparedness Week.” Everyday this week, NOAA will have tips for us on how to stay safe during winter weather in the USA. These tips are Colorado-centric but are useful for anyone traveling in mountainous terrain during winter. There are some great tips in here that we should all take heed to.
Day 1 = Winter Travel Safety:
...WINTER TRAVEL SAFETY...
WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES THROUGH SATURDAY
OCTOBER 26TH. BEFORE WINTER WEATHER ARRIVES IN EARNEST...
IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU PREPARE YOUR CAR OR TRUCK FOR
WINTER TRAVEL.
A WELL EQUIPPED VEHICLE HAS ADEQUATE TIRES...TIRE CHAINS...TOW
ROPE...SAND OR CAT LITTER FOR TRACTION...SHOVEL...TOOL KIT...
WINDSHIELD SCRAPER AND BRUSH...BATTERY CABLES...FIRST AID KIT...
FLASHLIGHT...EXTRA BATTERIES...BLANKETS AND/OR SLEEPING BAGS...
EXTRA CLOTHING...CANDLES...WATER-PROOF MATCHES...JUG OF WATER...
HIGH CALORIE PACKAGED FOOD FOR QUICK ENERGY...AND AN EMPTY CAN
TO MELT SNOW FOR DRINKING.
THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT TREACHEROUS WINTER TRAVEL IS TO AVOID
IT. THIS CAN BE DONE BY STAYING INFORMED ABOUT THE CURRENT
WEATHER AND ROAD CONDITIONS AS WELL AS THE LATEST WEATHER
FORECASTS. INFORMATION ON ROAD CONDITIONS IN COLORADO IS
AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT WWW.COTRIP.ORG OR THE TOLL FREE NUMBER
1-877-315-7623. WHEN CALLING FROM ANYWHERE IN
COLORADO...DIALING 511 WILL ALSO ACCESS THE COLORADO ROAD
REPORTS. ADDITIONALLY...A FREE SMARTPHONE APPLICATION...CDOT
MOBILE...IS AVAILABLE. ROAD CONDITIONS FOR NEIGHBORING STATES
CAN BE OBTAINED ON A LINK FROM WWW.COTRIP.ORG.
IF YOU SHOULD BECOME STRANDED DURING A WINTER STORM...STAY WITH
YOUR VEHICLE AND DO NOT PANIC. IF ACCOMPANIED BY OTHERS...TAKE
TURNS SLEEPING. RUN THE MOTOR EVERY HOUR FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES
TO MAINTAIN WARMTH...BUT KEEP WINDOWS OPEN A LITTLE TO PREVENT
THE BUILDUP OF CARBON MONOXIDE. MAKE SURE THE EXHAUST PIPE IS
NOT BLOCKED. KEEP THE CAR VISIBLE WITH BRIGHTLY COLORED CLOTHS
TIED TO THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS...DOOR HANDLES...OR EXTERNAL
ANTENNA. AT NIGHT...TURN ON THE DOME LIGHT WHEN RUNNING THE
ENGINE. EXERCISE PERIODICALLY BY VIGOROUSLY MOVING ARMS...
LEGS...TOES AND FINGERS.
IN THE MOUNTAINS...AVALANCHES BECOME A POSSIBILITY IN THE WINTER
...ESPECIALLY BELOW STEEP SLOPES. AVALANCHES OCCASIONALLY COME
DOWN ACROSS ROADS...WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING. HOWEVER...
AVALANCHE CONTROL WORK IS PERFORMED ON MANY AVALANCHE PRONE
ROADS IN COLORADO...MAKING THE ROADS SAFER TO TRAVEL. CAUTION
IS ADVISED WHEN TRAVELING ALONG AVALANCHE PRONE
ROADS...ESPECIALLY DURING AND SHORTLY AFTER A HEAVY SNOWSTORM OR
DURING PERIODS OF RAPID SNOWMELT.
VERY STRONG DOWNSLOPE WINDS OCCUR AT TIMES MAINLY ALONG THE
FRONT RANGE OF COLORADO. THESE CHINOOK AND BORA WINDS CAN HAVE
GUSTS EXCEEDING 100 MPH. PERSONS TRAVELING IN LIGHT WEIGHT OR
HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES SHOULD AVOID TRAVEL DURING THESE STRONG
WIND EVENTS ESPECIALLY ON NORTH-SOUTH ORIENTED ROADS.
ROADS WHICH APPEAR TO BE CLEAR IN THE WINTERTIME MAY ACTUALLY BE
COATED WITH A THIN LAYER OF ICE...COMMONLY KNOWN AS BLACK ICE.
THIS NEARLY INVISIBLE ICE LAYER CAN CAUSE YOU TO RAPIDLY LOSE
CONTROL OF YOUR VEHICLE. BLACK ICE IS MOST COMMON DURING THE
NIGHTTIME HOURS. IF YOU DETECT BLACK ICE...YOU SHOULD REDUCE
YOUR SPEED.
