Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 26, 1993 TAG: 9302260349
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: STEPHEN FOSTER AND DIANE SIMPSON
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
SNOW PUTS SOME PEOPLE TO WORK
Unlike school kids, not everyone gets the day off when it snows. And for some, snow means more work than usual . . .Snow removal crews were standing by Thursday night at Roanoke Regional Airport. "We start immediately when it starts snowing," Executive Director Jacqueline Shuck said. Each airline has its own rules that determine when to cancel or delay flights, she said.
About 40 day- and night-shift members of Roanoke's street-clearing crews watched for the snow to start falling so they could distribute chemicals on bridges, said Gary Catron, general superintendent in the city's Street Department. "We'll work 24 hours until we get the snow cleared."
And Roanoke Postmaster Billy Martin said nothing short of 6 feet of snow would prohibit the mail from being delivered. "We will make an attempt, regardless," he said. "Our policy is to serve the customer and that is what we're going to do."
But Martin prepared to adjust some mail-carrier route schedules. "Rural routes may be a problem and where we have carriers going up the steps," he said.
For those who have to drive to work today, here are some tips from the American Automobile Association:
If you're on the road, move slowly but steadily.
Be sure to increase your normal following distance behind vehicles. If you're on an upgrade, stay far enough behind the vehicle ahead to avoid having to slow down or stop.
When braking, use the slow-but-steady rule again. Do not pump the brakes - apply them slowly and firmly to a point just before they lock up. Combine this with disengaging the clutch on a manual transmission or shifting to neutral with an automatic.
Anticipating lane changes and slowing down beforehand should help avoid a skid.
If you start to skid, keep your foot off the brake, and again, disengage the clutch or shift into neutral. Steer in the direction that you want the car to go, taking care not to oversteer.
Be extra alert when crossing bridges and overpasses, because ice tends to form there before it freezes on roadways.
Keep an emergency kit in your trunk that includes the following items: tire chains; a small snow shovel; extra clothing, including a hat; traction mats; ice scraper; booster cables; warning devices such as flares or triangles; a small bag of sand, salt or kitty litter; a snowbrush; flashlight; cloth or a roll of paper towels; a blanket.