Winter driving skills will be put to the test this weekend for the first time this season.
AAA of Western and Central New York Fleet Operations Manager Todd Ingraham said it all starts with your vehicle itself, ensuring that your tires are in adequate and safe condition for you to drive on.
"Make sure you have adequate tread depth. If you have 2/32", then your tire should be replaced. If you're at 4/32", you should probably start looking for new tires," Ingraham said. "Easy way to tell is take a penny, turn it upside down. If you can see all of Lincoln's head, then it's at 2/32" and it's time to get new tires. You aren't going to have adequate tires for the conditions."
If you’re hitting the roadways this weekend, it’s also important to be prepared in the event snow gets you stuck.
"You want to put in things like extra pair of gloves, a blanket, an extra pair of boots, some kitty litter to possibly to get traction, and paper towels," Ingraham added "But you definitely want to put in a bottle of water and some snacks. If you're traveling with pets, make sure you have snacks for them as well."
Ingraham said that you may want to crack a window for ventilation if your car is stuck in snow – because if snow covers your tailpipe, carbon monoxide can be a danger for those inside the vehicle.
And then when it comes down to actually driving in snowy conditions, caution is key.
"Give yourself extra time, leave additional spacing between you and the vehicle in front of you, don't make any fast changes with the steering wheel to change lanes," he said. "And also, you have to remember if you're pulling off to the side of the road, that could be different type of surface than the actual roadway, because it's untreated. If you do happen to go off the road, please stay in your vehicle. You don't want to get out because other vehicles may be going off the road as well."
Lake effect snow is continuing to hit areas near the Pennsylvania line including Mayville, Ripley, and Angola. A lake effect Snow warning is in effect for Northern Erie County including Buffalo from 7 AM Saturday to 7 PM Sunday.
