Take caution and be prepared

Officials offer advice on how to stay safe during winter driving

By MARK NEWMAN, Courier staff writer

OTTUMWA — Winter weather has reared its ugly head again in Iowa.

With that, law enforcement officials suggest that if the weather is indeed so bad that you’re worried about what to do if stranded in your car, you might consider just staying home.

“Don’t drive when conditions are real bad, unless it’s an outright emergency,” said Wapello County Sheriff Don Kirkendall.

Conditions weren’t too bad Monday morning, even out in the county, he said, but Kirkendall felt it was just going to get worse.

“If it gets that bad, it’s best just to stay inside, he said”

That way, you don’t need to worry about being rescued.

The Iowa State Patrol issued a press release Monday that also recommended against driving unnecessarily.

If you must drive, Kirkendall said, driving slower than normal can reduce accidents. And these days, having a cell phone is less of a luxury and more of a safety precaution during winter driving.

Jefferson County Sheriff Jerry Droz said to maximize the benefits of having a cell phone, pay specific attention to where you are.

In low visibility conditions, he said, emergency responders could wind up driving back and forth on a road without seeing a stranded motorist.

Skidding off the road into a gully, then reporting, “I’m in a ditch somewhere on Highway 34 ...” isn’t going to speed the rescue process. If, as you drive, you pay attention to which landmark you’re passing, rescue can come quicker. For example: “I was heading East toward Fairfield from Ottumwa. I remember passing the Agency turnoff.”

Mumble landmarks out loud if it helps.

Even better, said Droz, would be to know the mile marker.

If you do break down or slide into a ditch, it’s generally best to wait for help. Wandering away from the car in whiteout conditions isn’t going to help the searchers or the motorist.

“If it’s blowing real bad, you can become disoriented, then who knows where you end up,” Kirkendall said.

Occasionally running the car’s heater can be safe as long as there is enough ventilation, Kirkendall said. And make sure the exhaust isn’t blocked, otherwise, carbon monoxide poisoning can set in.

There are times, on a case-by-case basis when a motorist might have to make the decision to leave the vehicle and go for help.

For example, with the stranded car not clearly visible, no cell phone available and being on a rarely traveled road, a motorist might go to a nearby residence if it’s safe to do so, Kirkendall said.

“We encourage people in winter driving to have appropriate clothing and a blanket or two. But if it gets to that point where it’s cold and blowing, really, stay at home.”

Forecast

Today, the National Weather Service is calling for more snow and areas of blowing snow, with a high near 22 degrees. But 10-20 mph northwest winds could make it feel like -10. New snow accumulation of 1-3 inches is also possible.

Tonight, expect patchy blowing snow and a slight chance of more snow before midnight with a low around 9 degrees and a north/northwest wind with gusts as high as 26 mph.

The NWS is predicting the coldest day of the week will be Wednesday: About 19 as the high during the day, and a low of -6 at night.

The more the messier

Additional snow may mean additional mud.

“As far as snow removal, I’m not worried,” said Wapello County Engineer Brian Moore. “We’ve got material on hand and haven’t used more than normal. What concerns me is having a [fast] thaw; then we end up with a situation like we had two years ago.”

County roads throughout southeast Iowa were almost 100 percent soft, wet mud. Local governments struggled with ways to pay for repairs. Moore himself ended up closing some county roads; even some of the open roads were barely passable.

There’s even more snow this winter.

“The conditions are just right to experience a real bad thaw in spring, with the roads turning to mud,” he said. “The potential is there.”

Within city limits, most roads are paved. So while they may not morph into truck-trapping mud, city officials have their own concerns.

“We’ve been through quite a bit of salt,” said Ted Henderson, Bloomfield’s director of public works.

With conditions slightly above freezing during the day Monday, a crew had still gone out to salt emergency routes in town.

The budget for snow removal could end up “crunched this year,” he said.

Salt bought in bulk may not seem pricey to the average homeowner.

“It’s about $64 per ton. And we put in an additive to help it melt at [about $14]. A ton doesn’t go very far. It adds up.”

The Bloomfield streets were actually melting pretty well during the day Monday.

“It’s still at about 33 [degrees] here,” Henderson said, adding he anticipated worsening conditions. “We’re looking at coming back in around midnight or 2 a.m.”

In Jefferson County, the roads weren’t too bad by 2 p.m. Monday. But the cost of clearing snow after snow is starting to add up.

“After this event, we’ll probably be at our budget amount,” said Jefferson County Engineer Tom Goff.

While most municipal ordinances say the local government will clear snow up to the budget, he said, it would be very unusual to stop the plows.

“That’s not realistic. You do what you have to do, then deal with [funding concerns].”

Mark Newman can be reached at 683-5358 or by e-mail at mnewman@ottumwacourier.com.