Useful Tips For Driving In Winter Weather in Texas

My friend Joe Puma, Chief Meteorologist at ABC-7 KVII is warning folks to stay off the road over the weekend, especially Sunday. But if you have no choice and have to travel here are some tips from Triple A that could save your life.

Test your battery; battery power drops as the temperature drops
Make sure the cooling system is in good working order
Have winter tires with a deeper, more flexible tread put on your car
If using all-season tires, check the tread on your tires and replace if less than 2/32 of an inch
Check the tire pressure; tire pressure drops as the temperature drops
Check your wiper blades and replace if needed
Add wiper fluid rated for -30 degrees
Keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze.

How to avoid an accident:

Avoid using cruise control in wintry conditions
Steer in the direction of a skid, so when your wheels regain traction, you don’t have to overcorrect to stay in your lane
Accelerate and decelerate slowly
Increase following distance to 8 to 10 seconds
If possible, don't stop when going uphill
If visibility is severely limited due to a whiteout, pull off the road to a safe place and do not drive until conditions improve. Avoid pulling off onto the shoulder unless it is an absolute emergency. Limited visibility means other vehicles can’t see yours on the shoulder.

Here’s Joe’s warning:

Snow is likely to begin on Saturday and last through Monday morning. With temperatures being below freezing beforehand, it will be very fluffy and stick almost immediately. This will be a significant storm if it tracks overhead. Right now widespread totals of 6 to 9 inches with localized amounts near 12 inches will be possible in the Northeastern Panhandles. Winds will blow it around reducing visibility to less than a 1/4 mile near the ground and will create snow drifts between 2 and four feet potentially. The thing about this snow is whether it is 5 inches or 10, it is so dry, it will pack down into a sheet of ice when vehicles drive on it making driving extremely difficult. Due to the potential for dangerous temperatures and snowfall, we are calling Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday WEATHER ALERT DAYS.