WASHINGTON, D. C. (Friday, January 11, 2019) –– Winter Storm Gia, yes they have names, as is the custom for years now, is heading this way and the District of Columbia and portions of northern Virginia, and central and north central Maryland are in her bull’s eye. That target on your back means the National Weather Service (NWS) has posted a winter weather advisory for the Inner Core of the Washington Metro Area and issued a “Winter Storm Warning” for portions of the Middle Ring and Outer Ring of the Washington metro area.

But snowstorms are notorious for coloring outside the lines. Just as no two snowflakes are alike, monster snowstorms don’t follow the rules, obey lines or follow boundaries. Be prepared for accumulating snow and hell to pay on area roadways. In all her mischief and fury, Gia, a freak of nature, could drop three to five inches of snow inside the Beltway. With that volume of accumulation on the way, the AAA Mid-Atlantic Roadside Rescue Team is gearing up for a busy weekend ahead, and a busy Monday morning as many vehicles are expected to sit idle during the region’s snow event. 

Area road crews are “preparing for the first snow of 2019.” Preparedness and precaution are the orders of the day for motorists coping with a winter storm of this degree. The dramatic drop in temperatures and accumulating snow in the forecast means it will be all- hands-on-deck, as AAA Mid-Atlantic rescuers respond to stranded motorists as quickly and safely as possible. Approximately, 46 percent of all crashes involving bad weather take place in the winter, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is asking that “drivers plan travel around impending weather and avoid unnecessary travel during the storm.” So too is AAA Mid-Atlantic.

“For their own safety and everyone else, area motorists and commuters are advised to avoid non-essential travel until the storm passes and crews can clear roads,” said John B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Manager of Public and Government Affairs. “Fortunately, the storm is occurring late Saturday into Sunday morning when there is typically a drop off in road travel.”

Across the four corners of the Mid-Atlantic region AAA emergency roadside assistance personnel will ride to the rescue of thousands of stranded and stalled motorists in Winter Storm Gia. Last winter, AAA Mid-Atlantic came to the rescue of over 572,000 motorists across the auto club’s territory, including, 20,294 distressed and disabled drivers in the District, nearly 150,000 motorists in Maryland, and 104,592 vehicle operators in Virginia. Tows, dead batteries, and flat tires were the primary reasons for roadside service.

“Readiness and preparation are the watchwords with Winter Storm Gia bearing down on us. The first goal for drivers is to try to avoid a breakdown by keeping their vehicles up-to-date on maintenance. Tires and car batteries are some of the most common vehicle problems seen over the winter months,” said Bruce Jenkins, Manager of the AAA Mid-Atlantic Club Fleet Depot in Northern Virginia. “The second goal, should a driver’s vehicle break down, is to stay as safe and warm as possible while waiting for help to arrive.”

It is also all hands on deck for area road crews, including the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the District Department of Public Works and Department of Transportation (DDOT), the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA), and at every county transportation department in Maryland, including Prince George’s, Montgomery and Charles counties. Ahead of Gia’s arrival, area road crews are continuing to pretreat roads into Friday evening and night, a task launched as early as yesterday. Area transportation departments, including VDOT, will stage plow trucks along roadways on Saturday afternoon.

Heed the timing of Gia’s arrival in your neck of the woods, and pay careful attention to the warnings as she spreads a “swath of accumulating snow.” By the way, “A Winter Weather Advisory for snow means periods of snow will cause primarily travel difficulties,” the National Weather Service (NWS) explains. “Expect snow covered roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving.” The “Winter Weather Advisory” covers the District, Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church, Prince George’s County, Fairfax County, Montgomery County, Howard County, Washington County/Frederick Maryland, Carroll County, and Loudoun County.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a “Winter Storm Warning” for Charles County in Maryland, and Prince William/Manassas/Manassas Park, Stafford, Norther Fauquier and Southern Fauquier counties in Virginia. The NWS is warning, “A Winter Storm Warning for snow means severe winter weather conditions will make travel very hazardous or impossible. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.”

Severe weather can be both frightening and dangerous for automobile travel. Motorists should know the safety rules for dealing with winter road emergencies. AAA reminds motorists to be cautious while driving in adverse weather. With the cold weather season upon us, drivers can check their vehicle to prevent two of the most common needs for roadside assistance, tires and batteries:

• Battery: Clean any corrosion from battery posts and cable connections and wash all surfaces with battery terminal cleaner or a solution of baking soda and water. Have the battery checked by a professional to ensure it is strong enough to face cold weather. AAA members can request a visit from an AAA Mobile Battery Service technician who will test their battery and replace it on-site, if necessary.
• Tires: Examine tires for tread depth, uneven wearing and cupping. Check tire pressures once a month when tires are cold, before driving for any distance.

Ahead of Winter Storm Gia, AAA Mid-Atlantic offers the following winter-weather reminders for motorists:

• Shake it off. Remove all snow from your vehicle, including the roof, hood, and trunk. While driving, snow can blow off a car onto the windshield of a nearby vehicle, temporary blinding that driver’s vision.
• Time is of the essence, but safety is most essential.  Allow plenty of extra time to get where you need to go.
• Travel gently. Drive, turn, and brake slowly. Adjust your speed to the road conditions and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
• Control the skid. If you are approaching a patch of ice, brake during your approach. Applying pressure to your brakes while on ice will only throw you into a skid. In the event you find your car is skidding, ease off of the accelerator or brake, and steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go.
• Keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze-up.
• Drive in cleared lanes. Changing lanes unnecessarily puts you at greater risk of hitting a patch of ice between lanes that may cause you to lose control of the vehicle.
• Be extra aware of the traffic ahead. If you see brake lights, fish tailing cars, sideways cars or emergency flashers, slow down even more.
• Guard against SUV overconfidence. Four-wheel-drive vehicles are great for initial traction and avoiding getting stuck, but once they are moving, they have the same difficulty keeping control and stopping as other vehicles.
• Watch for black ice. Although it is mostly invisible, pavement with black ice will be a little darker and duller than the rest of the road surface.
• Use extra caution on bridges and overpasses. Bridges and overpasses freeze first and melt last. Therefore, use extra caution as the roadway leading up to the bridge may appear fine but the bridge itself could be a sheet of ice.
• If your car doesn’t have anti-lock brakes, you need to use the following threshold braking technique: Squeeze the brake pedal with your toes, and, when you feel the wheels begin to lock, ease off the pressure slightly and hold it there.
• Never use cruise control. Cruise control is not recommended when ice is on the road as the driver should be in full control of the vehicle at every second.

Gia’s coming. Now is also a great time to assemble an emergency kit equipped for winter weather to store in a vehicle. This kit is especially important for long distance driving where motorists may encounter winter weather. The emergency kit should include:

• Fully charged Mobile phone pre-programmed with rescue apps and important phone numbers, including family and emergency services, and car charger. 
• Drinking water.
• First-aid kit.
• Non-perishable snacks for both human and pet passengers.
• Bag of abrasive material (sand, salt, cat litter) or traction mats.
• Snow shovel.
• Blankets.
• Extra warm clothing (coat, gloves, hats, scarves).
• Flashlight with extra batteries.
• Window washer solvent.
• Ice scraper with brush.
• Cloth or roll of paper towels.
• Jumper cables.
• Warning devices (flares or triangles).
• Basic toolkit (screwdrivers, pliers, adjustable wrench).

More than “40 million people across the nation are under winter storm alerts.” With Gia in the wings, exert and exercise your concentrated attention. “There are approximately 1.2 million weather-related vehicle crashes every year - leading to, on average, nearly 6,000 fatalities and over 445,000 injuries,” according to the United States Department of Transportation.

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AAA provides automotive, travel and insurance services to 58 million members nationwide and nearly 79,000 members in the District of Columbia.  AAA advocates for the safety and mobility of its members and has been committed to outstanding road service for more than 100 years.  The not-for-profit, fully tax-paying member organization works on behalf of motorists, who can now map a route, find local gas prices, discover discounts, book a hotel and track their roadside assistance service with the AAA Mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android. For more information, visit  https://aaa.com