VDOT News - Staunton

STAUNTON – (4 a.m.) Slick spots are reported early Friday morning, December 23, on some roads in the Shenandoah Valley and Alleghany Highlands. A light wintry mix or rain is falling in most areas, and a strong cold front is expected to create a flash-freeze later in the morning. Wet surfaces will rapidly glaze over and create dangerous black-ice conditions. Trees, limbs or utility lines may become laden with ice and fall into roadways.

The Virginia Department of Transportation advises against non-essential travel. Bridges and overpasses freeze first, sometimes creating an icy glaze even when roadway approaches are just wet. Following Friday’s flash freeze, temperatures are not forecast to rise above freezing for several days.

Those who must drive on Friday should use extreme caution and always wear a seatbelt. Motorists should pack an emergency kit and blankets or extra layers of clothing, and have mobile devices fully charged in case of a vehicle breakdown or emergency.

Here are the conditions in the VDOT Staunton District as of 4 a.m. Friday:

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

Interstate 66 – Minor conditions in Warren County.

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

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

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

Statewide road conditions and traffic cameras are at http://www.511Virginia.org. For a detailed list of winter weather road conditions click “Text Views” on the orange bar atop the page. Then click on “Road Conditions Table” and use the pull-down box to select individual counties and cities. Roads with snow conditions will be marked minor, moderate, severe or closed.

On the go? 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.

Follow VDOT 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.

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Road condition definitions:
Closed – Road is closed to all traffic.
Severe – drifting or partially blocked road.
Moderate – snow or ice on major portions of the roadway.
Minor – bare pavement except for isolated spots of snow, ice or slush. Driving with caution is recommended.

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