Snowflakes and Roadways

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Danger has been building up on the roads since this Tuesday morning and they’re likely to get worse through the night.

As temperatures continue to drop, snow on the roads will refreeze, causing them to be very slick and dangerous for drivers.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol and the Mississippi Department of Transportation say they’re expecting travel issues Tuesday and Wednesday because of this arctic front.

They’re advising people to not get out on these roads unless they have to.

“I’m advising people today, if you’re out here driving, you better have your license and your insurance with you because I mean, the probability of you getting into an accident, it could happen, so be prepared,” says Mississippi Highway Patrol Spokesman MSgt. Criss Turnipseed.

Snowy, slick, highways like these and tires don’t mix.

Mississippi Department of Transportation workers have been working for the last 36 hours to prepare for the snow.

MDOT Commissioner Mike Tagert says workers have put salt where it was needed, but adds, it’s not very effective when temperatures get this low.

“It means absolutely nothing, so don’t depend on that. We then move to, obviously, our snow plows are very active. We’re putting aggregate materials, slag type material, out on roads and bridges, trying to break up that snow, but when you have these kinds of low temperatures, there’s nothing, it’s just going to continually refreeze over and over.”

Tagert says we’re going to see zero thaw through this event, that’s unusual for our state.

The frequently traveled routes and roads will be more hazardous, along with bridges and overpasses because they tend to freeze first.

“Before you get to a bridge, or somewhere that is frozen, that you do any accelerating or any braking, before you get to that frozen patch, okay, because you don’t want to get on the bridge and brake all of a sudden, or accelerate, or turn the wheel all of a sudden, that’s going to cause you to go into a skid and hit the bridge embankment, or could send you off the roadway,” says Turnipseed.

This Eupora resident is from Ohio and is used to driving in these types of conditions and says you can’t be too careful.

“Drive slow, don’t, I mean, that’s the biggest key. Don’t go fast. Don’t use cruise control,” says CJ Young.

Turnipseed says if you have to be out driving during this winter storm, accelerating, braking, and steering should be done very gently.

He also says false confidence is something to be aware if you have to be out on the roads.

“You might be on a section of a roadway, where you know, well this is, the road is good, the traction is good here, the road is not going to be too bad, and you’re traveling safe and you get a false confidence and that speed starts to eek up a little bit, and then all of a sudden, a mile down the road, the road conditions are totally changed, and you know, you get caught off guard.”

At last check, MHP Troop G has responded to 46 service calls out on the roads, ranging from accidents, people hitting bridges and cable barriers out on Highway 82, to running off into medians.

Turnipseed says if you have problem, let troopers know by dialing *47 on your phone.

MDOT also suggests to use their app and information to check on roadway conditions.