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8 winter driving reminders your mom would want you to know

8 winter driving reminders your mom would want you to know
in the last video, we talked *** little about how winter storms form and different types of wintry precipitation. Now we want to talk *** little bit about winter weather safety here. And one of the big hazards that we can sometimes see in central Iowa during the winter our snow squalls. *** snow squall is *** sudden onset of intense heavy snow and gusty winds that can lead to white out conditions and rapidly deteriorating road conditions. Now you may think, well that's just *** blizzard. Well, the difference between *** snow squall and *** blizzard is the time at this last typically with *** snow squall. These only last less than two hours with *** blizzard. On the other hand though that will last three hours or greater. So snow squalls are definitely something you have to be careful with and you can receive alerts on your phone from the National Weather Service if you have those enabled. So watch out and be careful for snow squalls. Some winter driving safety tips here. Obviously this isn't the south so everything can't shut down during winter. But there are some practical safety tips that can help you as you go along this upcoming season. You want to make sure you check your tires and the big thing you want to check is to make sure you have an adequate amount of tread and also plenty of pressure as well. The tread on your tires is very important because that will help maintain that grip on that road surface and obviously you want to make sure you have enough air in your tires because when it gets cold you lose *** lot of air pressure. Another thing you wanna do, make sure you remove ice and snow from your car off the tops off the windows and off the mirrors is that can go flying around and impede visibility of other motorists. And then lastly, if you ever come across *** situation where you're skidding and come across an icy surface, you'll want to slow down, avoid accelerating too fast and then steer in the direction that you want to go. And again. You can obviously avoid that by driving slow in the first place on *** snowy surface or avoid travel during *** winter storm. Not only are we concerned about wintry precipitation during the winter, but we also have to watch for cold temperatures as well. And one of the big factors that we look at is the wind chill. And this works whenever we have gusty winds and cold temperatures, our bodies naturally lose heat through convection when it's very cold, that means the heat is escaping from your body, But with little to no. When that little layer of heat that's around your body can stay in place and can kind of act as *** way to insulate you. However, when things change here, when we get gusty winds that helps to remove that layer of heat around the outside of your body and so *** temperature of 20° no longer feels as comfortable vent. You start to worry about windchill and that helps to speed up heat loss, making it feel much colder and that can lead to dangerous conditions. Health conditions like hypothermia. So this is *** wind chill chart that you'll see use from time to time. The colder these wind chills, the faster you can, you can have frostbite. So you'll want to be mindful of those windchill values and be careful if you are outside. So avoid or limit time outdoors during extremely cold conditions, cover exposed skin. Bring pets indoors. Always have *** travel safety kit and check on your vulnerable family, friends and neighbors as well. I'm storm teammate, meteorologist Trey Fulbright and we hope you have *** safe winter.
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8 winter driving reminders your mom would want you to know
The Iowa Department of Transportation has reminders for Iowans anytime temperatures drop and snow falls or ice builds up — conditions that make it very dangerous to be stranded in your vehicle. So here are some tips you need to know if you need to drive in winter conditions ...1. Know before you go: If your trip cannot be postponed until the weather improves, log on to discover all the ways in which you can receive 24/7 Iowa travel information online or on your phone at 511ia.org.LIST: School closings, delays and early dismissals across Iowa2. Use your vehicle's safety equipment: Make sure you and your passengers are wearing their seatbelts or are in a child safety seat. Your vehicle’s headlights are a valuable asset when driving in winter weather. Turn them on to see and be seen.3. Fill your vehicle's gas tank: Before traveling in winter weather, always keep your vehicle’s gas tank nearly full and make sure your vehicle is in good mechanical condition. 4. Never use cruise control during winter weather: Your vehicle's cruise control sensors may not work properly if the tires are traveling on packed snow or ice. This can cause your vehicle to increase its speed, placing you at greater risk of getting involved in a crash.5. Keep a winter survival kit in your vehicle: This kit should contain items to help sustain your life and the lives of your passengers should your vehicle become stranded. These items can include: booster cables, candles and matches, a flashlight with fresh batteries, extra blankets and warm clothes, nonperishable food items, a can for melting snow into water, and a snow shovel. Sufficient supplies should be in the kit for all persons traveling in the vehicle.6. Carry a mobile phone: Always have your mobile phone with you and make sure its settings allow for alerts that warn you of severe weather. 7. Use caution when approaching or following a snowplow: Snowplows generally operate at much slower speeds than other traffic. Snowplows can be forced sideways when clearing hard-packed drifts and generate a "snow cloud" that may impair the vision of drivers in nearby vehicles. Remain a safe distance behind the snowplow, pass only when clear; and never continue to drive alongside a plow. Allow plenty of space when passing the snowplow because the wing of the plow blade extends out to the side of the truck. Do not cut back into the lane of traffic too closely in front of a snowplow truck because the blade also extends in front of the truck. Remember the slogans, “Ice and Snow …Take It Slow” and “Don’t crowd the plow.”... and 8. Closely watch the forecast for changes. vlog has weather updates in every newscast, with real-time weather information on vlog.com and our app.Get the latest headlines from vlog» Download the free vlog app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google PlayMore winter weather coverage

The Iowa Department of Transportation has reminders for Iowans anytime temperatures drop and snow falls or ice builds up — conditions that make it very dangerous to be stranded in your vehicle.

So here are some tips you need to know if you need to drive in winter conditions ...

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1. Know before you go: If your trip cannot be postponed until the weather improves, log on to discover all the ways in which you can receive 24/7 Iowa travel information online or on your phone at .

LIST: School closings, delays and early dismissals across Iowa

2. Use your vehicle's safety equipment: Make sure you and your passengers are wearing their seatbelts or are in a child safety seat. Your vehicle’s headlights are a valuable asset when driving in winter weather. Turn them on to see and be seen.

3. Fill your vehicle's gas tank: Before traveling in winter weather, always keep your vehicle’s gas tank nearly full and make sure your vehicle is in good mechanical condition.

4. Never use cruise control during winter weather: Your vehicle's cruise control sensors may not work properly if the tires are traveling on packed snow or ice. This can cause your vehicle to increase its speed, placing you at greater risk of getting involved in a crash.


5. Keep a winter survival kit in your vehicle: This kit should contain items to help sustain your life and the lives of your passengers should your vehicle become stranded. These items can include: booster cables, candles and matches, a flashlight with fresh batteries, extra blankets and warm clothes, nonperishable food items, a can for melting snow into water, and a snow shovel. Sufficient supplies should be in the kit for all persons traveling in the vehicle.

6. Carry a mobile phone: Always have your mobile phone with you and make sure its settings allow for alerts that warn you of severe weather.

7. Use caution when approaching or following a snowplow: Snowplows generally operate at much slower speeds than other traffic. Snowplows can be forced sideways when clearing hard-packed drifts and generate a "snow cloud" that may impair the vision of drivers in nearby vehicles. Remain a safe distance behind the snowplow, pass only when clear; and never continue to drive alongside a plow. Allow plenty of space when passing the snowplow because the wing of the plow blade extends out to the side of the truck. Do not cut back into the lane of traffic too closely in front of a snowplow truck because the blade also extends in front of the truck. Remember the slogans, “Ice and Snow …Take It Slow” and “Don’t crowd the plow.”

    ... and 8. Closely watch the forecast for changes. vlog has weather updates in every newscast, with real-time weather information on vlog.com and our app.

    Get the latest headlines from vlog

    » Download the free vlog app to get updates on the go: |

    More winter weather coverage