The winter weather has arrived during one of the busiest travel times of the year. Not much snow accumulated on the roads from Wednesday’s storm but with freezing temperatures any water on the ground is turning to ice.
Ada County Highway District crews have been busy trying to keep the roads safe for Thanksgiving drivers. They began treating the roads back on November 1st. Their top priorities are areas near schools, fire departments, hospitals, busy intersections, and steep roads.
"We have the plows out so basically we are out in full force. We have crews that will be working all through the holiday just to make sure that everyone's holiday is safe and everyone gets where they're going," Nicole Pineda, ACHD spokesperson said. "We did start plowing north of Hill Road, and we have been up in the foothills as the snow line kind of moves down into the county."
In total, ACHD has 55 road crews and 37 snowplows dedicated to keeping Ada County roads safe this thanksgiving.
I-84 is mostly dry from Nampa to Boise, but streets in Boise are wet and some may have ice with freezing temperatures expected to last most all of Thanksgiving. Roads worsen on I-84 as you get closer to Mountain Home. Magic Valley roads are very dangerous with a winter storm warning lasting until 11:00am Thursday.
If you are hitting the roads this morning, you can dial 5-1-1 on your phone for the latest information on the road conditions and closures.
Idaho State Police will also be out on Thanksgiving, increasing their patrols over the holiday. ISP says they will concentrate on high traffic areas and focus on safety not citations. They also say there will be zero tolerance for drunk drivers and those not wearing seatbelts.
