The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike), the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency recently partnered with the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to study how snow squalls affect driving.
A snow squall is defined as a brief and intense period of heavy snow, up to two inches in 30 minutes, with winds of more than 30 miles an hour and visibility of less than a quarter mile. Squalls can catch drivers off guard and lead to crashes and other traffic impacts.
“We have seen snow squalls occur on the turnpike, and it definitely affects how people drive, which is why we want to support this study and hopefully help educate drivers on how to safely navigate through a snow squall,” Craig Shuey, PA Turnpike chief operating officer, said.
Dr. Jase Bernhardt, who teaches sustainability, climate change and weather at Hofstra University, is developing a virtual reality snow squall simulator with meteorologists from the National Weather Service’s State College, Pa., office to study how drivers react to snow squalls. Reactions will be documented, analyzed and shared to provide more timely and relevant information on driving through snow squalls when there is no way to safely exit a highway.