TEMPLE, TX — Central Texans haven't broken out their heavy snow boots in nearly 10 years, but that’s all about to change as a winter storm is headed our way Sunday morning and expected to leave behind a few inches of snow in its path.
Whether it's an inch or half a foot of snow, the Texas Department of Transportation is ready for whatever weather conditions headed our way.
“Our maintenance crews are prepared for any circumstances that may come and whenever they do, we’ll be sure that our actions are responding accordingly,” Jake Smith, the public information officer for the Waco District of Texas Department of Transportation said.
Although snow and ice aren’t typical here, Smith said they begin to plan for this weather in the fall by checking salt stockpiles and maintaining its vehicles.
Yesterday, crews pre-treated problem areas like bridges and overpasses with a salt water brine.
“What it does is it helps prevent precipitation from adhering to the roadways that falls on the road,” Smith explained.
The best advice officials offer when traveling in these conditions? Bundle up, get comfortable and stay home if you can.
“For those that do have to travel a little bit tomorrow, we just want to remind them to… drive appropriate for the road conditions,” Santos Soto, the public information officer for Temple Fire and Rescue said. “If that precipitation is starting to fall, it may be starting to freeze on the roadways. Just be careful.”
Because driving tomorrow will be more treacherous than what we’re used to.
“Whenever you see speed limits on the roadways, speed limit signs, those speed limits are for ideal driving conditions,” Smith said. “What we’re about to see here, this winter weather, is not ideal driving conditions."
In other words? “Reduce your speeds, give yourself extra time to get to your destination,” Smith said.
“Just pay attention to what you’re doing while you’re driving, pay attention to your driving itself and above all just be safe,” Soto added.
If you must travel tomorrow, head over to www.drivetexas.org for real time travel updates and alerts.
