KMEG 14 - News, Weather, Sports for Sioux City and Siouxland | Windy Weather Makes Driving Dangerous in Siouxland

Windy Weather Makes Driving Dangerous in Siouxland

Warm weather, cold weather, wind and snow, "Mother Nature" just can't seem to make up her mind and Tuesday was one of the colder ones.

Frigid temperatures, bitter winds and some snow greeted Siouxland Tuesday, and when you add all of that together it makes driving a little bit difficult.

There isn't any other way to describe it, it's cold outside with wind chills below zero.

This blast of frigid winter weather's really making the going slow for truck drivers.

"You have to watch the cross winds because it'll blow your trailer right into the next lane if you're not careful," says Michael Keene, a truck driver from Maine. "If you don't have control of it it'll blow you right over, you could run over a car."

Wednesday the wind was blowing right around 20 miles per hour. That and the snow make roadways treacherous for big rigs and for everyone else on the road.

"You always want to watch your speed and try to be easy on them brakes," says Jason Wills, a truck driver from Texas.

Many across the country are seeing real winter driving conditions for the first time this season.

"We haven't seen much of a winter up in Maine either," says Keene. "They got their first good snow storm last week and that was like only three or four inches."

Just remember a few things when you're sharing the road with semis this winter.

"Just slow down and the following distance is really important, especially if you get into slick conditions," says Keene. "If someone makes a bad move and people react and slam on their brakes, everybody goes into a slide."

"Don't cut in front of the truck driver, because, you know, in weather like this they don't have the time to stop that you think they normally have," says Wills.

With the winter the way it's been so far those roads can change daily, so it's a good idea to find out what you'll be in store for before you head outside.

We can help you do that.

To check out the latest road conditions in Iowa, please visit this web site: http://www.511ia.org/

To check out the latest road conditions in Nebraska, please visit this web site: http://www.511.nebraska.gov/atis/html/index.html

To check out the latest road conditions in South Dakota, please visit this web site: http://www.safetravelusa.com/sd/