PennDOT Urging Preparation, Altering Thanksgiving Holiday Travel Plans If Necessary

A winter storm is approaching this Thanksgiving Holiday and is forecasted to bring the first significant snowfall of the year.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Nov. 26. The Lehigh Valley is expected to get between 3 and 6 inches of snowfall during the 24-hour period on Wednesday, according to the NWS.

On Monday, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation issued a news release calling for all who may be commuting this Thanksgiving to be prepared for the winter conditions that may lie ahead.

“We all want to visit our friends and families this Thanksgiving, but I urge all motorists to be prepared for potential winter road conditions and consider altering travel if necessary,” PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch said in a new release from the DOT. “Our first priority should be to arrive safely, even if it takes more time to reach our destinations.”

PennDOT crews will be monitoring forecasts across the state and are prepping to take care of any impending wintry conditions. Crews are expected to be extended to round-the-clock coverage and will work through the Thanksgiving holiday, according to the release. Crews will be monitoring the weather and road conditions to determine what roads require treatment.

“Motorists should be aware that if this storm begins with rain or freezing rain, we generally won’t pretreat roads because the rain will wash salt brine away,” Schoch said in the news release. “This is one of the reasons why it’s so critical that we have real-time conditions and that drivers closely watch forecasts to decide whether they should travel.”

The DOT is urging all drivers to make sure their vehicles have an emergency kit, regardless of their Thanksgiving holiday destination, including non-perishable food, water, first-aid supplies, warm clothes, a blanket, cell phone charger and a small snow shovel, the release said. Additionally, the Department is encouraging motorists to stock the emergency kits with any items relating to specific needs they may have, such as baby supplies, pet supplies and extra medication.

Lehigh County has 529 miles of roadway, 20 miles of Interstate (Interstate-78), 1,233 miles of lane miles. The county used 16,875 tons of salt and 127,800 gallons of brine treating roads last winter, according to the PennDOT 2014-2015 winter services guide.