​Montoursville, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is alerting motorists that snow squalls are possible today in Central Pennsylvania.

Snow squalls could create white out conditions which could virtually eliminate a driver’s visibility.

They can also create treacherous travel conditions for drivers where roadways quickly become snow covered and slick.

Motorists always should be alert during the winter season for sudden squalls which can strike with little or no warning.

If motorists do encounter snow squalls while traveling, PennDOT offers this advice:

• Slow down gradually and drive at a speed that suits conditions. • Turn your headlight on. • Stay in your lane. • Increase your following distance. • Stay alert, keep looking as far ahead as possible and be patient. • Reduce in-car distractions since your full attention is required. • Use defroster and wipers. • Turn four-way flashers on. • Keep windows and mirrors free of snow and ice. • During whiteouts, come to a complete stop only when you can safely get as far off the road as possible or when there is a safe area to do so. • Do not stop in the flow of traffic since this could cause a chain-reaction collision. • Do not pass a vehicle moving slowly or speed up to get away from a vehicle that is following too closely. • Always buckle up and never drink and drive.

Meanwhile, PennDOT crews will be working to keep the roads safe and passable.

Motorists are reminded that roadways will not be free of snow while precipitation is falling. With freezing temperatures, roads that look wet may actually be icy, and extra caution is needed when approaching bridges and highway ramps where ice can form without warning. Motorists should leave plenty of space when following a truck that is plowing or spreading winter materials.

While PennDOT recommends not traveling during winter storms, motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

For more winter driving tips and information on how PennDOT treats winter storms, visit www.penndot.gov/winter.

Follow PennDOT locally on Twitter at www.twitter.com/StateColl for Tioga, Lycoming, Bradford, Sullivan and Union County information; www.twitter.com/Altoona for Snyder County information or www.twitter.com/Northeast for Montour, Columbia and Northumberland information.   MEDIA CONTACT: Maggie Baker, 570-368-4202, or at magbaker@pa.gov.  

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