PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
600 AM MDT MON OCT 19 2009
...WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES...
...WINTER TRAVEL SAFETY...
WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES THROUGH SATURDAY
OCTOBER 24TH...AS PROCLAIMED BY GOVERNOR RITTER. BEFORE WINTER
WEATHER ARRIVES IN EARNEST...IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU
PREPARE YOUR CAR OR TRUCK FOR WINTER TRAVEL.
A WELL EQUIPPED VEHICLE HAS ADEQUATE TIRES...TIRE CHAINS...TOW
ROPE...SAND OR CAT LITTER FOR TRACTION...SHOVEL...TOOL KIT...
WINDSHIELD SCRAPER AND BRUSH...BATTERY CABLES...FIRST AID KIT...
FLASHLIGHT...EXTRA BATTERIES...BLANKETS AND/OR SLEEPING BAGS...
EXTRA CLOTHING...CANDLES... WATER-PROOF MATCHES...HIGH CALORIE
PACKAGED FOOD FOR QUICK ENERGY...AND AN EMPTY CAN TO MELT SNOW
FOR DRINKING.
THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT TREACHEROUS WINTER TRAVEL IS TO AVOID IT.
THIS CAN BE DONE BY STAYING INFORMED ABOUT THE CURRENT WEATHER
AND ROAD CONDITIONS AS WELL AS THE LATEST WEATHER FORECASTS.
INFORMATION ON ROAD CONDITIONS IN COLORADO IS AVAILABLE ON THE
WEB AT WWW.COTRIP.ORG OR BY DIALING TOLL FREE 1-877-315-7623.
ROAD CONDITIONS FOR NEIGHBORING STATES CAN ALSO BE OBTAINED ON A
LINK FROM WWW.COTRIP.ORG.
IF YOU SHOULD BECOME STRANDED DURING A WINTER STORM...STAY WITH
YOUR VEHICLE AND DO NOT PANIC. IF ACCOMPANIED BY OTHERS...TAKE
TURNS SLEEPING. RUN THE MOTOR EVERY HOUR FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES
TO MAINTAIN WARMTH...BUT KEEP WINDOWS OPEN A LITTLE TO PREVENT
THE BUILDUP OF CARBON MONOXIDE. MAKE SURE THE EXHAUST PIPE IS
NOT BLOCKED. KEEP THE CAR VISIBLE WITH BRIGHTLY COLORED CLOTHS
TIED TO THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS...DOOR HANDLES...OR EXTERNAL
ANTENNA. EXERCISE PERIODICALLY BY VIGOROUSLY MOVING ARMS...
LEGS...TOES AND FINGERS.
IN THE MOUNTAINS...AVALANCHES BECOME A POSSIBILITY IN THE WINTER
...ESPECIALLY BELOW STEEP SLOPES. AVALANCHES OCCASIONALLY COME
DOWN ACROSS ROADS...WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING. HOWEVER...
AVALANCHE CONTROL WORK IS PERFORMED ON MANY AVALANCHE PRONE ROADS
IN COLORADO...MAKING THE ROADS SAFER TO TRAVEL. CAUTION IS
ADVISED WHEN TRAVELING ALONG AVALANCHE PRONE ROADS...ESPECIALLY
DURING AND SHORTLY AFTER A HEAVY SNOWSTORM OR DURING PERIODS OF
RAPID SNOWMELT.
VERY STRONG DOWNSLOPE WINDS OCCUR AT TIMES MAINLY ALONG THE FRONT
RANGE OF COLORADO. THESE "CHINOOK" AND "BORA" WINDS CAN HAVE
GUSTS EXCEEDING 100 MPH. PERSONS TRAVELING IN LIGHT WEIGHT OR
HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES SHOULD AVOID TRAVEL DURING THESE STRONG
WIND EVENTS ESPECIALLY ON NORTH-SOUTH ORIENTED ROADS.
ROADS WHICH APPEAR TO BE CLEAR IN THE WINTERTIME MAY ACTUALLY BE
COATED WITH A THIN LAYER OF ICE...COMMONLY KNOWN AS BLACK ICE.
THIS NEARLY INVISIBLE ICE LAYER CAN CAUSE YOU TO RAPIDLY LOSE
CONTROL OF YOUR VEHICLE. BLACK ICE IS MOST COMMON DURING THE
NIGHTTIME HOURS. IF YOU DETECT BLACK ICE...YOU SHOULD REDUCE
YOUR SPEED.
WHEN BRAKING ON ICY AND SNOW-PACKED ROADS...IT IS RECOMMENDED
THAT YOU APPLY STEADY PRESSURE TO THE PEDAL JUST TO THE POINT OF
BRAKE LOCK-UP...ALLOWING PLENTY OF EXTRA STOPPING DISTANCE. FOR
THOSE WITHOUT ANTI-LOCK BRAKES...ANOTHER SUGGESTION IS TO GENTLY
TAP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES JUST PRIOR TO APPLYING
STEADY PRESSURE.
COURTESY OF THE GRAND JUNCTION WARNING AND FORECAST OFFICE
| 
RSS Feeds