Salem District: Prepare now for Wednesday's storm

SALEM – Another winter storm is anticipated to affect travel in western Virginia starting on Wednesday, Feb. 18. Drivers should monitor forecasts and plan travel around this next winter weather event which is expected to bring inches of snow and impact both the morning and evening commutes.

On Tuesday, VDOT crews and contractors began pretreating interstates and main roads ahead of the storm. Drivers should stay clear of brine trucks and do not pass.

VDOT reminds drivers that the first priority in any winter weather event are the interstates and primary roads (those numbered 1-599) and high-volume secondary routes.

Equipment operators will be making multiple passes over these major routes and will not work on low-volume secondary roads (those numbered 600 and above), neighborhood streets and unpaved roads until the precipitation stops and progress is made on the main roads.

After the storm, temperatures are predicted to be at or below freezing. This means packed down or frozen snow may remain on some roads and be slow to melt.

The Salem District includes the counties of Bedford, Botetourt, Carroll, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Henry, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski, and Roanoke.

For more updates on local conditions, follow our Facebook Community for Salem District at https://www.facebook.com/groups/VDOTSalem or on Twitter @VaDOTSalem.