PHOENIX – This week’s winter storms will have many desert dwellers heading to the high country to toss snowballs, make snow angels, sled, etc., etc. Have a great time if you’re among them, but leave prepared to spend extended time in frigid conditions and pack a fully charged cellphone and other safety essentials.  

Wherever you decide to play in the snow, make sure it isn’t along a highway. Using shoulders for anything but emergencies can endanger you, your passengers and other motorists while interfering with first responders and snowplows. In addition, the Arizona Department of Transportation’s plows can throw snow and ice a great distance off the roadway.

Pack plenty of patience and common sense along with coats, blankets, snacks, water and other essentials that ADOT lists here.

Pay close attention to the forecast. The latest for Arizona’s high country calls for snow showers to decrease but continue into Saturday around Flagstaff while persisting over the White Mountains. Be sure to slow down on roads slick with snow and ice.

With ADOT’s snowplows likely to be operating in many areas this weekend, always respect the plow. Stay a minimum of four vehicle lengths behind and don’t pass a snowplow until the operator pulls aside. Remember: The safest place on an icy highway is behind a snowplow.

Larger crowds tend to gather on weekends around the holidays at popular areas such as US 180 northwest of Flagstaff. That often leads to delays at day’s end when people stream home en masse.

You may be able to reduce the chance of being caught in delays by starting back early. And those taking US 180 through Flagstaff can save time by using a marked alternate route to Interstate 40 at Butler Avenue, via Switzer Canyon Drive and Route 66, and then heading west to I-17.

The Flagstaff Convention & Visitors Bureau lists designated snow-play sites at FlagstaffArizona.org and offers a winter recreation hotline at 844.256.SNOW.

Be sure to check highway conditions before hitting the road. Visiting ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov or calling 511 will alert you to incidents as well as snow and ice on the road. For Interstate 17 travelers, ADOT’s message boards provide estimated travel times to Flagstaff, Prescott and other popular high-country destinations.

The free ADOT Alerts app, available for iOS and Android devices at ADOTAlerts.com, will notify users about weather-related closures. In addition, it will alert those along US 180 if delays back to Flagstaff appear likely.

PHOENIX – Arizona Department of Transportation snowplows will operate around the clock when winter storms hamper travel on state highways. For Interstate 40 between Flagstaff and Williams, the highest freeway stretch in Arizona, an innovation known as the TowPlow helps give ADOT an edge by allowing just one driver to clear snow and ice from two lanes.

The TowPlow is a steerable trailer with a 26-foot blade that attaches to the back of a snowplow. Two TowPlows are assigned to I-40 west of Flagstaff, an area that often sees intense snowfall.

Able to do the job of two snowplows by clearing a 24-foot-wide path, this combination lets ADOT clear more lanes in less time using less fuel. When possible, ADOT will run another snowplow alongside the TowPlow setup, clearing both lanes and the shoulder at once.

Everyone benefits from having all of ADOT’s two TowPlows and nearly 200 snowplows clearing highways rather than having some taken out of service when misguided motorists crash into them. That’s why ADOT’s Know Snow tips include this simple request: Respect the plow.

Here’s how you do that:

• Give them room: Stay well behind any snowplow – a minimum of four vehicle lengths.
• Don’t try to pass: Plow drivers will move over periodically and allow traffic to pass when it is safe to do so.
• Think safety: The road behind a snowplow is the safest place to drive.

ADOT’s 400 snowplow drivers undergo extensive training so they can keep state highways safe. With the potential for winter storms to hit soon, now it’s time for you to get to Know Snow by reviewing ADOT’s safety tips at azdot.gov/KnowSnow.

For starters, slow down when roads are slick with snow and ice, leaving extra room behind the vehicle ahead. Take a fully charged cellphone, warm clothing and an emergency kit that includes blankets, food and water, medication and sand or kitty litter.

Check your vehicle before heading out in winter weather, making sure – at a minimum – that the tires, heater and windshield wipers are in good shape.

Before traveling, research weather conditions to determine whether it would be smarter to sit out a storm so ADOT’s snowplows can clear highways. Check road conditions by calling 511 or visiting az511.gov. ADOT’s Twitter account (@ArizonaDOT) and Facebook page (facebook.com/AZDOT) provide real-time information and interaction. And the free ADOT Alerts app available at ADOTAlerts.com will send critical information, including alternate routes, should snow and ice close a major highway.

So do you Know Snow in Arizona? If not, now’s the time to start learning with a trip to azdot.gov/KnowSnow.

PHOENIX ‒ While there’s plenty of snow in the high country thanks to this week’s powerful storm, drivers should resist the temptation to park along state highways to play in it, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety and Arizona Department of Transportation.

Highway shoulders are for emergencies only. By law, you must exit highways and park in designated areas beyond the highway right of way before building that snowman.

The reasons come down to safety: Other drivers may be distracted by your vehicle; other drivers may pull over as well to play in the snow, compounding the problem; your vehicle may interfere with first responders who need to use the shoulder; ADOT snowplows hurl snow and ice far off highways; and it’s far safer for you and other drivers if you re-enter highways from on-ramps and other designated entrances.

Then there’s the obvious danger of parking and playing near fast-moving traffic that's using what could be a still-icy road.

AZDPS troopers and other law enforcement officers can cite motorists for parking on a controlled-access highway in violation of state laws. Violators can face expensive fines.

Safety in the high country extends beyond where you park to how you get ready for the trip.

Leave prepared for the possibility you’ll be delayed by slowing and even closures caused by heavy traffic, weather and crashes by packing an emergency kit that includes, at a minimum, blankets, extra food and water, necessary medications and sand or cat litter for traction. Also have a fully charged cellphone and make sure your gas tank at least half to three-quarters full at all times.

Dress for winter weather, including a heavy coat, gloves, a scarf and a cap.

ADOT has more safety tips at azdot.gov/KnowSnow.

Those heading to popular snow-play sites should prepare for heavy traffic and may want to consider making an earlier start home, as traffic back tends to build as the day goes on.

In addition to not parking along highway shoulders to play in the snow, those who head to US 180 northwest of Flagstaff should be prepared for heavy traffic toward Flagstaff at day’s end. While it won’t save time back to Flagstaff, drivers heading south can reach Interstate 17 faster by following a marked alternate route to Interstate 40 at Butler Avenue, via Switzer Canyon Road and Route 66, and then heading west to I-17.

Information on designated snow-play areas around Flagstaff is available at FlagstaffArizona.org (follow the Winter Recreation link) or by calling 1.844.256.SNOW.

For the latest highway conditions around the state, visit ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov or call 511. ADOT’s accounts on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) and Facebook (facebook.com/AZDOT) are sources of information and interaction.

PHOENIX ‒ An Arizona Department of Transportation TowPlow helping remove snow and ice from Interstate 40 west of Flagstaff had to be taken out of service Thursday when a semitrailer clipped it while making an unsafe pass to the right.

The plow driver was unhurt in the crash, which occurred in the westbound lanes of I-40 near Parks, and ADOT lost the use of a rig that allows a single driver to clear two full lanes in one pass. The semi didn’t stop.

The TowPlow, a steerable trailer with a 26-foot blade that attaches to a regular snowplow truck, was taken to an ADOT repair shop, and crews were able to return it to service late Thursday afternoon. The TowPlow is based in Williams, an area that sees heavy snow during winter storms. View an ADOT video about the agency’s TowPlows.

It isn’t easy driving a snowplow on slippery roads with limited visibility, and other drivers make that job dangerous when they don’t give ADOT’s operators plenty of room to work. Respect the plow by staying at least four vehicle lengths behind and never passing a working snowplow until the operator pulls over to let traffic by.

"As I describe it, the weather's nicer behind the plow than it is in front of it," said Matt Bowles, who operates an ADOT snowplow on Interstate 17 and Interstate 40 in the Flagstaff area. 

Other tips from ADOT’s snowplow drivers:

• Never assume a snowplow operator knows you are nearby. If you can’t see the plow driver, there is a good chance the driver can’t see you.
• Plowed snow can create a cloud that reduces visibility, and spreaders on trucks throw de-icing agents or sand that can damage vehicles, so stay back.
• Leave space when stopping behind a snowplow. The driver might need to back up.
• If approaching an oncoming snowplow, slow down and give the plow extra room.
• Just because a plow has been through the area, drivers shouldn’t assume the roadway is completely clear of snow and ice.

For more on snowplow safety and winter-driving essentials, please visit azdot.gov/KnowSnow.

PHOENIX – With heavy rain and snow forecast across Arizona from Wednesday night through Thursday, drivers should slow down for safety and consider putting off travel as conditions can change quickly, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Because sections of highway in northern Arizona can close due to crashes and heavy snow during extreme winter storms, the safest option is always to wait out the storm before driving. It’s also the most-efficient decision, as a highway takes much longer to plow when it’s jammed with vehicles that shouldn’t be traveling on a roadway that’s slick with snow and ice.

Before deciding whether and when to travel, check weather reports and get the latest highway conditions by visiting ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, calling 511 or reviewing ADOT’s Twitter feed (@ArizonaDOT). When a freeway closure or other major traffic event occurs, our free app available at ADOTAlerts.com will send critical information directly to app users in affected areas – where possible, in advance of alternate routes.

ADOT crews are ready to plow snow and ice on highways, but it can still be hazardous to drive in a storm where visibility and road surface conditions can change quickly. Drivers can help out plow operators by never passing a snowplow that’s clearing a highway until the driver pulls over to let traffic pass.

If delaying travel isn’t possible, leave prepared for the possibility that you’ll spend extended time in winter conditions. Pack an emergency kit with items like extra blankets, warm clothes, food and water, cat litter or sand for traction, a first-aid kit and a fully charged cellphone.

Make sure to slow down and drive for the conditions you’re in. Be sure to leave extra room between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.

For more winter-driving tips, visit azdot.gov/KnowSnow.