00:00 I have covered a number of crashes and even pileups on this stretch of Interstate 80.
00:04 You can see and hear the traffic behind us.
00:07 And being on the highway, it's one of the worst spots you could be when a snow squall
00:10 hits.
00:11 And there are going to be thousands of people that are going to be traveling on these highways.
00:16 Many of those people haven't dealt with snow, let alone snow squalls, in a long time.
00:21 So that's why officials and meteorologists are trying to get the word out before the
00:24 holiday travel season kicks into high gear.
00:27 Now, when you take a look back at this dramatic video, it is hard to forget this pileup crash.
00:33 It happened last March on Interstate 81, northwest of Philadelphia.
00:37 Eighty cars and trucks were involved in this pileup and fire.
00:42 Six people did not survive.
00:44 Meteorologist Jonathan Guzman at the National Weather Service in State College says drivers
00:49 caught on the highway in a snow squall, they need to slow down without slamming on the
00:53 brakes.
00:54 Turn on your headlights and hazard lights and keep as much distance between other vehicles
00:59 as possible.
01:00 And get to an exit as soon as you can.
01:03 If you are caught in a crash, only get out of your vehicle if you cannot see or hear
01:08 any other cars coming, and only if you can quickly and easily run far off the highway.
01:16 The absolute worst thing to do, we tell folks, is get outside of your car and basically be
01:20 a standing target for oncoming traffic.
01:22 Because again, they may not be able to see or have control.
01:25 Inch up in a pileup and put as much distance between themselves and oncoming traffic as
01:29 you can.
01:32 There is no safe place on a highway during a snow squall.
01:35 That's the message.
01:36 And that's why it's best to check the forecast before you buckle up and immediately slow
01:40 down and get to an exit if you get one of those snow squall warnings on your cell phone.
01:46 Now, if there is a flash freeze that comes with those snow squalls, that's when the warmer
01:52 roads, the colder air that comes behind a snow squall, it can create a thin glaze of
01:56 ice.
01:57 And that's why you see all those cars so hard to stop.
01:59 So many of those crashes happen so quickly.
02:02 That can increase your stopping distance several times.
02:05 For big trucks, it can be 10 times the distance to slow down for you compared to a dry road.
02:10 So that's why it's so important before your holiday travel, check your forecast on the
02:14 AccuWeather app.
02:15 It's one of the best places and the quickest places you're going to get winter weather
02:18 alerts.
02:19 Oh yeah, you definitely want that alert, especially when snow squalls blow through.
02:23 Did you see that visibility bill?
02:25 Oh, it's just scary times.
02:27 Thank you for that report.
