CHARLESTON, WV – West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) crews are actively treating roads across the state as the latest winter weather event is forecasted for Friday, February 16, 2024 into Saturday, February 17, 2024.
Counties along the Ohio River and into the north and central parts of West Virginia are under a Winter Weather Advisory from the National Weather Service (NWS). Under the advisory, between one to four inches of snow is expected from 6 p.m. Friday through 4 a.m. on Saturday.
Heavier snow is expected in WVDOH District 8 counties of Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, and Tucker counties, and District 5 counties of Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, and Morgan. Those counties are under a Winter Storm Warning. The NWS is forecasting total snow accumulations of five to eight inches of snow in eastern West Virginia from tonight into tomorrow morning.
“Our operators are assigned to continue to perform SRIC (snow removal and ice control) operations until all roads are addressed -- on a 24-hour, 7-day-per-week basis,” said Joe Pack, P.E., WVDOH Chief Engineer of Operations.
Statewide, WVDOH has over 1,000 trucks mounted with plows with salt spreading capabilities. A typical snowplow holds 12 tons of salt, enough to treat about 100 lane miles of road.
Each plow truck is assigned a driver for a 12-hour day shift and a 12-hour night shift so that a driver is on the roadway 24 hours a day.
All roads maintained by WVDOH fit into one of four priorities. The Interstate, Expressway, National Highway System, and all other US, West Virginia and high-traffic county routes are Priority 1 routes. Priority 2 routes are all other school bus routes not included in Priority 1. Priority 3 routes are the remaining routes, not including park and forest routes. Priority 4 routes are park and forest routes.
Once Priority 1 routes are deemed in accessible condition, WVDOH operators move those the secondary routes in Priority 2 and 3. However, as snow returns, WVDOH operators return to the Priority 1 routes.
WVDOH reminds motorists to slow down in the winter weather and give snowplow drivers space to work.
For the latest updates and information on local travel conditions throughout West Virginia, visit
wv511.org. To report a snow-covered road in your area, call 833-WV-ROADS.
With work continuing in all 55 counties across the state, the West Virginia Division of Highways and the
West Virginia Department of Transportation remind the public of the importance of keeping everyone safe in work zones by keeping
“Heads up; phones down!”