Prepare for Round Two of Snowpocalypse 2014!

OK.  Maybe 'snowpocalypse' is a bit over-the-top.  But the weekend’s winter weather has left us with some very slick roads in spots.  Residential streets, some Farm to Market roads and alleys will take days to clear of the ice and snow.  And, just when you thought the worst had come and gone, think again.  Round two is set to begin late tonight.

Forecasters are calling for more precipitation tonight into Tuesday morning.  What kind of precipitation falls and how icy the roads become depends solely on the temperature.  Temps are expected to be around 29-32 degrees when the next round of wintery precipitation hits.  But, drop the temp another 3 or 4 degrees and things could get a bit western around here.

With still-slick conditions hanging around today and more rain/freezing rain/sleet/snow forecast for midnight and beyond, you can likely expect tomorrow morning to be slow, at best.  Bridges and overpasses, as usual, will be treacherous at least for a short while tomorrow morning.  The best advice: don’t get out on the roads until things clear up a bit.  But for most of us that’s just not an option.  Work, school and other demands sometimes mean we just have to go.

If you must travel, even if just to work and home again, it’s a good idea to be prepared for anything.  Here are some tips and ideas to help keep you safe on the icy roads:

• Leave early and take your time.  Trying to get to your destination in a hurry is not an option in these conditions.
• Put bottled water, crackers, cookies, chips or other snacks in your car.  If you should find yourself stranded, even for a short time, you’ll be glad you had something to get you by.
• Make sure you have your cell phone and a car charger with you.
• Carry a flashlight and spare batteries.  If you travel at all, you should always have this in the glove box, console or trunk.  You never know when you just might find yourself stranded at night.  Not only do you want to be able to see, you want others to see you too.
• Make sure your gas tank is full.  Running out of gas on an icy road is almost as bad as it gets.  Play it safe and fill it up.
• Carry a blanket, an extra coat and gloves in case you should find yourself stranded.  Be prepared to bundle up to stay warm if needed until help arrives.  Sitting in your vehicle with the engine running and the heat on may seem like a good idea, but if even a small amount of carbon monoxide should leak inside the vehicle, it could be very dangerous or even deadly.

You can monitor the forecast, radar and more 24/7 by clicking here.

For updates on closures and delays, click here.