PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
600 AM MDT MON OCT 22 2007
...WINTER TRAVEL SAFETY...
WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES THROUGH SATURDAY
OCTOBER 27...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.
PRINGLE
WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
GRAND JUNCTION WARNING AND FORECAST OFFICE
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