PHOENIX – An incoming storm with lower-than-normal snow levels is expected to create slippery driving conditions and limited visibility starting Thursday evening throughout Rim Country, in northeastern Arizona and on steep, winding highways east of the Valley, including US 60, State Route 77 and State Route 177 in the Globe and Superior areas.

Avoid underestimating the power of a winter storm or overestimating your ability to negotiate highways covered with snow and ice. Arizona Department of Transportation snowplows will be out in force, but driving conditions can be hazardous during storms. Highways can close suddenly if enough snow falls in a brief period or if there are crashes, slide-offs or both.

Slow down and drive for the conditions you’re in. Be sure to leave plenty of room between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.

The safest decision when snow falls and ice forms is delaying travel until the storm passes and highways have been cleared. In addition to the obvious danger if your vehicle and others are stuck on or along a snow-covered highway, this also makes clearing the roadway much more difficult and time-consuming for ADOT’s snowplows.

If delaying travel isn’t possible, leave prepared for the possibility that you’ll spend extended time in winter conditions. Pack an emergency kit with items like extra blankets, warm clothes, food and water, cat litter or sand for traction, a first-aid kit and a fully charged cellphone.

Before leaving, check highway conditions by visiting ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov or calling 511 (Not while driving). ADOT’s Twitter feed (@ArizonaDOT) is a 24-hour-a-day source of updated information and interaction. The free ADOT Alerts app available at ADOTAlerts.com delivers immediate information in a specific area if a major highway closes due to a crash or heavy weather.

For Interstate 17 travelers, ADOT’s message boards now provide estimated travel times to Flagstaff, Prescott and other high-country destinations.

Give snowplows plenty of room to work, staying at least four vehicle lengths behind. Avoid passing a plow until the driver pulls aside to let traffic by.

For more winter driving tips, visit azdot.gov/KnowSnow.

With another round of winter storms expected next week, the Arizona Department of Transportation’s snowplow fleet includes 25 new, high-tech vehicles ready to clear state highways of snow and ice.

These snowplows have lighter, flexible blades that ADOT’s trained drivers can adjust from inside the cab to efficiently clear highways, such as when conditions warrant a tighter curl or different angle. The new plows also provide easier handling and improved visibility.

The new Freightliner snowplow trucks, replacing older plows that are no longer part of ADOT’s fleet of nearly 200, are being used almost exclusively on wider interstate highways, including I-17 and I-40 in the Flagstaff area. While many ADOT snowplows have 11-foot wide steel blades up front, the flexible blades on these plows measure 12 feet across.

ADOT purchased the snowplows, each costing $280,000 and weighing 65,000 pounds fully loaded with equipment and deicing materials, as part of a program to maintain a reliable fleet that keeps the traveling public as safe as possible when winter weather strikes.

The bit, or bottom edge section of a flexible snowplow blade, includes a shock-absorbing rubber insulator that improves contact with the highway’s surface. The plow blade acts much more like a squeegee along the pavement, increasing the removal of snow and ice from lower, worn spots created by heavy traffic.

Inside the cab, several high-tech tools help snowplow operators negotiate often-challenging conditions. Joysticks control the blade’s movements. A computerized monitor provides weather data and pavement temperatures as well as information about deicing agents that are distributed from the plow’s dump truck bed. Another screen shows images from separate rear- and side-mounted cameras.

A laser guidance system helps drivers operate a separate blade called a wing plow, which can extend from right side of the vehicle to increase the amount of snow cleared. The laser’s beam, which shines ahead to match where the outside edge of the wing plow will travel, lets drivers know if they need to merge away from objects such as guardrails.

Any snowplow operator, whether in a new or older plow, has a lot to focus on while clearing snow from highways. It’s important that other drivers give snowplows plenty of room to operate. Try to avoid passing a snowplow while it’s clearing snow and stay at least four vehicles lengths behind it.

The new snowplows aren’t limited to use during the winter season. With plow-related equipment removed, they provide year-round flexibility when used as dump trucks for highway maintenance work.