Know your route and know your forecast

STAUNTON — A winter weather advisory has been issued for portions of the Shenandoah Valley and Alleghany Highlands. Virginia Department of Transportation Staunton District crews will be out overnight on Sunday, January 14 into Monday, January 15. Crews will plow and treat roads as conditions warrant.

Motorists should be aware of weather conditions and forecasts along their route. The safest plan is not to travel during winter weather. Snow amounts may be light but untreated surfaces can become hazardous quickly. Elevated surfaces such as bridges and overpasses freeze first. Road conditions can be found on http://www.511Virginia.org. 

Road-clearing priorities are as follows: 

• The Interstate Highway System and limited-access roadways are our first priority.
• Primary roads and major secondary roads with vital emergency and public facilities, or those with high-traffic volumes, will be cleared along with interstate and limited-access roadways as resources allow.
• Low-volume secondary roads and subdivision streets will be treated after higher-priority routes are completed and additional resources are available.

For text listings 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 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 X (Twitter) feed is at @VaDOTStaunton.

The VDOT Staunton District is on Facebook and X (Twitter). Follow VDOT statewide accounts on Facebook, X (Twitter), YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and Flickr. The VDOT Web page is located at https://vdot.virginia.gov.

The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.

Road condition definitions:
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.