KELSEVILLE — Lake County roads have been slippery during the past few weeks. A light snowfall was recorded in higher elevations Wednesday and frozen roads were reported all around Lake County.
Gifford Springs Road from Cobb Boulevard to the top of the hill is closed to all traffic due to extremely icy road conditions.
Mark West Springs Road and Calistoga Road in Sonoma County were both closed from 8:15 p.m. Tuesday to noon Wednesday. This forced Lake County residents commuting to Sonoma County to use alternate routes.
According to the California Highway Patrol, there was a minor collision on Honey Hill in Hidden Valley, and a non-injury collision on Butts Canyon Road Wednesday morning.
“Leave your house earlier, so you can drive a little slower in the inclement weather,” said Josh Dye, Public Affairs Officer, Clear Lake Area CHP. “Most of the collisions we respond to in bad weather are due to people driving too fast for the conditions. With wet roadways, and the possibility of ice, you also need to increase your following distance.”
A few other safety tips when driving in these conditions:
Snow, ice and slush
” Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
” Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
” Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
” Keep your lights and windshield clean.
” Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
” Don”t use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
” Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
” Don”t pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you”re likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.
” Don”t assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.
The CHP urges you to check road conditions often. The best way to do this is to call the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Road Conditions Hotline: (800) 427-ROAD (800) 427-7623.
Safety tips provided by www.weather.com
Contact Rene Morales at rmorales@record-bee.com
