Winter Weather Definitions
The Minnesota Department of Transportation uses the below terms to describe winter road conditions.
Partially Covered
- Ice, sleet/slush, snow or mixture causing the roadway to be partially covered (up to 50%)
- Roadway may become slick, snow packed or rutted
- May include moderate blowing and drifting snow
- Drivers may experience difficulty seeing road markings
- There may be reduced visibility, adjust driving speeds accordingly
Completely Covered
- Pavement completely covered (i.e. rain, frost, ice sleet/slush, snow or a mixture thereof)
- Sleet/slush means pavement is 100% wet and may have slick spots or standing water
- Snow accumulation completely obscures the pavement markings
- Heavy snowfall, strong winds, ground drifting and freezing rain make travel difficult and hazardous.
- Normal driving speeds will be impacted due to reduced visibility. Reduce speed.
Travel Not Advised
- The roadway has deteriorated and/or visibility has been reduced to the point that it is very dangerous to travel.
- There are reports of intermittent white out conditions.
- Some weather conditions can be severe enough that road treatments, such as salt or sand, are not effective.
- Emergency vehicles and snow removal equipment may be called off the roadway due to the conditions.
- In the event of an emergency, it may be impossible to get emergency vehicles to the scene.
Wind Chill
Wind Chill is a term used to describe what the air temperature feels like to the human skin due to the combination of cold temperatures and winds blowing on exposed skin. In simple terms, the colder the air temperature and the higher the wind speeds the colder it will feel on your skin if you're outside.
