VDOT: Snow preparations and pretreatment underway for January 6th forecasted storm

The Virginia Department of Transportation Staunton District began pretreating roads on Wednesday morning, January 5. Pretreatment operations are expected to conclude early on Thursday. VDOT will have crews deployed to monitor and treat roads as needed. Beginning on Thursday crews will remain on 12-hour shifts, 24 hours a day until roads have had at least one pass. Snow amounts of three to five inches are forecasted for Thursday afternoon into Thursday night. The public is asked to monitor weather forecasts for any changing conditions.

Wreckers will be staged at various locations and tree crews will be on standby.

VDOT crews continue to clear roads and restore service following the effects of the unprecedented snowfall on Monday, Jan. 3. Parts of the state received more than a foot of snow during the winter storm, with snowfall rates exceeding two inches per hour. Total snowfall accumulations ranged from two to 14 inches across the Commonwealth.

People are asked not to travel during the storm if possible. Information on road conditions, crash sites, and road closures can be found on VDOT’s 511 sites at http://www.511Virginia.org, The 511 app is available on Android and Apple devices. The 511 services can be used by dialing 511 within the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The VDOT Customer Service Center can be accessed at 800-FOR- ROAD (800-367-7623). Callers can speak to agents 24/7 every day of the year. The customer service center has a mobile-friendly website at https://my.vdot.virginia.gov/.

Personal emergency winter driving kits can include flashlights and batteries, ice scraper, cell phone and charger, jumper cables, blankets or quilts, first aid kit, bottled water, non-perishable food, abrasive material for traction, and a shovel.

For a text listing of winter weather road conditions go to http://www.511Virginia.org, look at the orange bar on the top of the page and click on “Text Views” and then click on “Road Condition Table”. Look at the pull-down box that lists all jurisdictions. In this box, individual counties can be chosen to view.

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.