How to make sure you're winter-ready on the road
Updated: 8:28 AM CST Dec 2, 2024
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.
How to make sure you're winter-ready on the road
Updated: 8:28 AM CST Dec 2, 2024
We've compiled a few checklists to make sure you’re winter-ready on the road. Do these things before you head out in snowy and icy weather.WEATHERIZE YOUR CAR:1. Check engine fluid levels, like oil, coolant and washer fluid2. Test your battery and replace it if necessary3. Use deicing washer fluid4. Switch to synthetic oil – it handles the cold better5. Inspect your tire tread and replace if needed6. Install snow tires7. Test headlights and tail lightsPACK A SURVIVAL KIT:1. Flashlight and extra batteries2. First aid kit3. Snow shovel4. Ice scraper with brush5. Blankets, sleeping bag6. Non-perishable food, like granola bars and dried nuts7. Bottled water8. Booster cables9. Extra clothing, like hats, mitts, coats and boots10. Sand or kitty litter for traction11. Cellphone with charger12. Flares or triangles Download the vlog 8 News app and the vlog 8 weather app to stay weather aware on the go. You can also visit 511ia.orgfor the latest road conditions.More winter storm coverage:Interactive Radar | Weather Alerts | TravelSee which school districts are closed hereHere's how to accurately measure snowfallWhy to put a quarter on a frozen cup of water before losing power and more outage tips8 snowstorm reminders your mom would want you to knowHere’s how to make sure your phone provides severe weather alertsExplainer: How to be prepared for winter weather hazardsTips for keeping your house safe and warm during the cold weather
DES MOINES, Iowa — We've compiled a few checklists to make sure you’re winter-ready on the road.
Do these things before you head out in snowy and icy weather.
WEATHERIZE YOUR CAR:
1. Check engine fluid levels, like oil, coolant and washer fluid
2. Test your battery and replace it if necessary
3. Use deicing washer fluid
4. Switch to synthetic oil – it handles the cold better
5. Inspect your tire tread and replace if needed
6. Install snow tires
7. Test headlights and tail lights
PACK A SURVIVAL KIT:
1. Flashlight and extra batteries
2. First aid kit
3. Snow shovel
4. Ice scraper with brush
5. Blankets, sleeping bag
6. Non-perishable food, like granola bars and dried nuts
7. Bottled water
8. Booster cables
9. Extra clothing, like hats, mitts, coats and boots
10. Sand or kitty litter for traction
11. Cellphone with charger
12. Flares or triangles
Download the vlog 8 News app and the vlog 8 weather app to stay weather aware on the go. You can also visit 511ia.orgfor the latest road conditions.
More winter storm coverage: