No Ohio winter would be complete without a little icy driving.
So here comes Mother Nature, right on cue.
The National Weather Service office in Cleveland has issued a winter weather advisory that kicks in Monday at midnight and runs until Tuesday at noon.
Yep. Just in time to snarl your morning commute and perhaps force some schools in north central Ohio to consider delays and closures.
Freezing rain is expected with total ice accumulations of up to one-tenth of an inch across portion of north central and northeast Ohio, providing potential slippery driving and even walking conditions.
The good news is the frozen water from the sky isn’t expected to last long. Forecasters predict it will transition to all rain, albeit a cold rain, by early Tuesday afternoon with a high near 39.
That will bring on a late-January thaw, of sorts. The low Tuesday night will be around 36 though the precipitation is 70 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
The high on Wednesday is expected to be near 47 and 53 on Thursday, though rain is likely both days. It’s Ohio. You can’t expect warm and sun at the same time in January.
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Expect the same the remainder of the week — warmer and wetter — as we prepare for a cooler weekend.
If you are out driving late Monday night or early Tuesday morning and experience icy conditions, here are some tips from the “Wrench Mobile Mechanics”website:
1. Prepare:
Good winter tires can reduce the risk of a severe accident on icy roadways. In addition, god tires increase the traction that your vehicle can get on slick roads, making it easier to maintain control while you drive.
2. Be Vigilant:
Being vigilant of the weather, in addition to road conditions, will help you prepare for dangerous roadways. It is crucial not to rely on the car thermometer when it comes to expecting ice solely. The air temperature warms more quickly than pavement, suggesting that the ground is still frozen even if the car temperature is reading above freezing. Black ice can be challenging to notice on roadways as it often resembles puddles. This is yet another reason why it is essential to follow the weather and be aware of your surroundings and road conditions. A warning of an icy road can include frost on the windshield, ice on the windshield wipers, side mirrors, road signs, or another surrounding object.
3. Be Alert Of Changing Surroundings:
A rise in elevation or a drop in temperature while driving can quickly produce icy roadways. Being alert of these changes enables you to adjust your speed and driving to ensure your safety.
4. Wear Your Seatbelt:
With the increased risk of an accident, you, and anyone in your vehicle, need to wear a seatbelt.
5. Drive Slowly:
Driving slowly in icy conditions allows you to control the vehicle and maintain traction, decreasing the chance of a slide. If you do lose control, the slower speed of your car increases your chance of regaining traction, slowing the car, and recovering control, in addition to reducing the risk of an accident.
6. Break Slowly And Sparingly:
Reducing breaking and doing so gradually reduces the chance of a slide. Often breaking can cause the car to lose control as it cannot maintain traction on the slick surface. In addition, abrupt actions like braking put you and your vehicle at risk because the force applied to the brakes is greater than the force between the tire and the roadway. As a result, braking can trigger a slide or worsen an existing drift.
7. Increase The Following Distance Between You And The Car In Front Of You:
it takes nearly ten times the stopping distance to stop on a snow-covered or icy roadway than it does on dry pavement. Therefore, using caution and increasing the distance between cars helps reduce the chance of an accident or damage to you or your vehicle.
8. Stay Calm:
Maintaining a calm and collected mindset allows you to not act out of stress or fear. In addition, a temperate attitude increases your and your car’s safety by reducing sudden and bold reactions to road conditions. Overcompensating or freezing up in icy conditions is the most dangerous thing you can do. Quick and careless responses put the most risk on you and your vehicle because of the reduced traction caused by snow or ice.
6 Tips To Avoid When Driving In Icy Conditions
1.Don’t Drive Unless Necessary:
Reducing your car trips when the roadway is icy is the best way to avoid accidents in cold weather. Drive only when essential. If possible, monitoring the temperature when planning longer drives will help you prepare or adjust for extended travel within icy conditions. The only way to entirely reduce your risk of an accident caused by snow or ice is to avoid driving when freezing temperatures are present.
2. Avoid Driving At Night And Early Morning:
Both of these times increase the chance of ice or snow because of the lowered temperature. Additionally, they offer reduced visibility on the roadways.
3. Do Not Drive Fast:
A good rule of thumb is not exceeding 45 mph on any roadway, including highways, when freezing conditions are present. Driving above this speed makes it more challenging to stop and much more likely to lose control of the car.
4. Don’t Be Overly Confident:
Although confidence as a driver is learned and taught, it is essential never to be exceedingly confident in dangerous road conditions. A sense of certainty is what causes a large portion of accidents. Even with experience driving on icy roads, any individual can find themself in an out-of-control vehicle that lost traction because of the roadway conditions. Even four-wheel-drive cars have highly reduced control on icy roadways. In addition, four-wheel or all-wheel vehicles do not necessarily drive substantially better than that of a two-wheel-drive cars, putting you at risk in whatever vehicle you are driving. It is essential to acknowledge the risk of driving on icy roadways and the unpredictable factors that accompany freezing temperatures—using caution while in these situations is critical to maintaining control of your vehicle.
5. Don’t Use Cruise Control:
It is essential always to avoid cruise control in icy conditions. Cruise control can cause the wheels of your vehicle to spin at different speeds, which puts you at risk of losing control in freezing conditions. Cruise control also increases your chance of driving at an accelerated rate, despite the conditions requiring a slower-paced trip.
6. Unless Necessary, Don’t Drive On Hills:
Steep inclines are nearly impossible to hold traction on when the roadway has ice or snow. In addition, avoiding hills will decrease your chances of losing control.
