First wave of winter storm slickens roads in the northern Shenandoah Valley

A mix of snow, freezing rain, and sleet is causing slippery road conditions early Thursday morning in the northern Shenandoah Valley and Highland County. The Virginia Department of Transportation is plowing and treating roadways as needed. Periods of additional wintry precipitation are expected Thursday and Friday throughout the 11-county Staunton District. Motorists should be alert for changing conditions and avoid unnecessary travel.

VDOT urges drivers to account for longer stopping distances, and allow extra space between themselves and surrounding vehicles. Remember that bridges and overpasses can be icy even when ground temperatures are above freezing. Drive defensively and wear a seatbelt at all times.

Here are the road conditions as of 4:00 a.m. Thursday in the VDOT Staunton District:

Interstate 64 – Clear conditions in Alleghany, Rockbridge and Augusta counties.

Interstate 66 – Minor conditions in Warren County.

Interstate 81 – Minor conditions in Frederick County. Clear conditions in Rockbridge, Augusta, Rockingham and Shenandoah counties.

Primary roads – Moderate conditions in Frederick County. Minor conditions in Highland and Clarke counties. Clear conditions in Alleghany, Bath, Rockbridge, Augusta, Rockingham, Page, Shenandoah and Warren counties.

Secondary roads – Moderate conditions in Frederick County. Minor conditions in Highland, Shenandoah, Clarke and Warren counties. Clear conditions in Alleghany, Bath, Rockbridge, Augusta, Rockingham and Page counties.

The website http://www.511Virginia.org offers color-coded maps of road conditions as well as pavement temperatures and traffic cameras. Under the “Text Views” tab, the site provides county-by-county listings of road conditions on all types of state-maintained roadways.

On the go? Then visit VDOT’s Free Virginia 511 Tools to get your 511 app for android or iOS. Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511.

The VDOT Customer Service Center can be accessed through its mobile-friendly website at https://my.vdot.virginia.gov/. Agents are on site 24/7 every day of the year to assist the public. People can also call the VDOT Customer Service Center at 800-FOR- ROAD (800-367-7623).

The Staunton District Snow Page is on the VDOT website under Travel Center Snow Emergency Pages. The Staunton District Twitter feed is at @VaDOTStaunton.

The Staunton District Twitter feed is at @VaDOTStaunton. VDOT can be followed on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and YouTube. RSS feeds are also available for statewide information. The VDOT Web page is located at http://www.VirginiaDOT.org.

The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany, and Bath counties.