FAIRFAX, Va. — Snow and rain could fall across parts of the DMV region starting early Monday morning.
The Virginia Department of Transportation will be out on Northern Virginia roadways during the storm, with salt trucks hitting the streets early Monday morning, said Ellen Kamilakis of VDOT.
“Because this storm is coming in as rain we won't be doing any pretreating because it'll just get washed away,” she said.
The massive trucks will be treating the streets as the snow and sleet falls, and Kamilakis said it’s best to keep a safe distance from them.
“The more room that you can give them the better, especially when they're dumping the rock salt down," she said. "In your windshield wipers, if you've got the fluid going, make sure those basins are filled because we're definitely going to salt up your windshield.”
Drivers are encouraged to stay off the roadways if possible, but if you can’t, plan for your commute to be longer than normal.
“So the No. 1 thing is always going to be to reduce your speeds," she said. "Drive with your headlights on. Don't overdrive the conditions, meaning don't drive too fast. Don't brake too hard. Don't take sharp corners because where you might have the intention of the car to go a certain way, the car might have its own plans that don't involve your intentions.”
And if you’re planning to salt your driveways, remember, less is more.
“You don't really need a lot," she said. "There's not a ton that you need. I think the more that we can get comfortable with the idea that things are not necessarily going to be bare pavement, the more people learn to regulate salt usage.”