As the holidays draw near, so too do the winter storms that mess up everyone’s travel plans. The last few days have been bitter cold, with temperatures dropping as low as minus 13 in Chicago, and other cities reporting similar near record lows. The brutal cold and snow storms have been a nightmare for travel, with 19 drivers killed this last weekend because of severe weather.
Unfortunately for everyone trying to go somewhere for Christmas and New Year’s, it looks like Old Man Winter has a present in store for us. AccuWeather predicts that a major storm over Christmas weekend could disrupt travel all over the Midwest on Christmas Day.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson, the storm could be weak, and simply blow over, but, “the storm may strengthen and reduce its forward speed as it travels northeastward from the central Plains toward the Upper Midwest from Christmas Day to Monday,” Anderson said.
This could be a disaster for anyone trying to travel in these areas, and is very dangerous. It is very important to be prepared for severe weather like this, so here are some tips to stay safe when traveling this holiday season:
Monitor the road conditions.
Most traffic accidents due to snow and ice can be prevented if you are prepared and take precautions!
Avoid traveling at night.
During the winter, snow and ice make it harder to see and drive even during the day, so driving at night becomes much more dangerous. It might look like lightspeed, but this isn’t Star Wars, and you’re not Han Solo.
Don’t go so fast.
It’s hard to stop on snowy, icy roads and the slower you’re going, the easier it will be to not run into something. Don’t worry, your presents will still be there if you’re a little late.
Be prepared!
Always have extra blankets and warm clothes, along with flashlights, water, food, and anything else you might need if you get stranded. Like puppies. You know, the essentials.