Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - While Tuesday morning wasn't the first snowfall for Western New York this winter season, it was the first system to dump snow across the region that made travel a bit treacherous for drivers in their morning commute.
Dan Fisher, dispatch manager with AAA of Western and Central New York, says Tuesday was certainly an active day for crews out on the roadways.
"About mid-afternoon [Tuesday], we're already over our call volume for last Tuesday, the Tuesday before that. We should end up around 175% of our normal volume today," said Fisher in an interview with WBEN. "We definitely saw some winch outs, people sliding off the road and getting stuck a little bit, very high tow volume and battery volume we're kind of our main contenders this morning."
While Tuesday was an active in the dispatch center for Fisher, he admits in his 20-plus years associated with AAA, this doesn't compare to some of the other first snowfalls to cause some havoc in Western New York.
"I can remember some of those first snowfalls - the October storm and some of those crazy ones - that is just absolute insanity out there on the roads. This one, though, wasn't too bad as far as those things go," Fisher acknowledged.
Fisher says given the forecast not calling for any more significant snowfall with this system, there were more cars on the road.
"Today, one could even call it maybe a nuisance snow, and everybody was out. Normal habits kind of abounded, and we had a lot more people on the road. So when I say it's not too crazy, it is definitely up there," Fisher noted. "We've seen about about 75% higher than normal, and in years past, we've maybe only seen about 50%. So this one kept a lot of people out on the road and gave us quite a few calls."
Fisher is amazed how every year, snowfalls like this in the early parts of winter manage to catch drivers, no matter their age or experience level, by surprise.
"Even when we go through breaks where we get some pretty nice weather, that first returning snowfall, we see similar patterns. And there's a lot of factors to it that we see," Fisher said. "One is people, maybe, are still kind of rushing a little bit and not leaving the space that they should, or maybe even going a little too fast for the conditions. Vehicle maintenance is another one that we see. We get to a lot of calls and somebody will say, 'I knew I needed a battery, and I just didn't do it.' Maybe they needed tires and weren't able to get it done. We get it, those things are very expensive and they take planning in order to do that. But it does seem like it catches people off guard.
"And then it does take a little bit of time to redevelop or remember, I guess, that muscle memory of leaving space, your winter driving habits, slowing down well before your stop sign, anticipating looking further ahead down the road. But it's a lot of habit that we have to re-learn, and it does seem to take a snow or two for us to do that."
Fisher reminds drivers when they hit the roads when the flakes are flying, be sure to pack your patience.
"The No. 1 thing is leave space, which means leave time. So if your normal commute is 15-20 minutes or 30 or 40, whatever it is, just expect that it's going to take, at least, 10-to-20 minutes higher than that," he said. "People are slowing down, they are leaving more space, you stop at the red lights a little bit more frequently. It just takes a longer time, so patience is definitely the No. 1 thing people need to bring to the roadways when the snow starts hitting."
Vehicle maintenance is also another important factor Fisher wants drivers to remember this winter.
"Make sure that your fuel tank is full. If it's not, if it's below a quarter tank, stop and get some gas, which I know adds more time to your commute, but it can save a situation where you're stuck in traffic and your car runs out of gas," Fisher noted. "Brush your car off as well. We see a lot of the snow flying off of cars that can be a hazard to other drivers. Things like that really do go a long way in preventing breakdowns and accidents."
And if you happen to find yourself in a situation where you become a driver that has drifted off the road in hazardous winter conditions, the No. 1 note to keep in mind is stay in your vehicle and keep your seat belt on as you call for help.
"If you have something to make your vehicle known, like flares or triangles or something, you could certainly use those. But we don't recommend people get out of their vehicle unless it's absolutely necessary," Fisher said.
There's also one added complication to factor with winter driving in Western New York.
"If you fall off the road or go into a ditch, you need to make sure that your exhaust pipe is clear," Fisher noted. "We didn't get a ton of snow this round, but we know that's coming. So in that case, you do have to get out of your car and make sure your tailpipe is clear, because otherwise, that carbon monoxide will actually leak back into your vehicle, creating huge issues."
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