(WOWK) Winter is known mainly for two things: Cold and snow. However there are multiple facets of winter weather hazards that we face in our part of Appalachia every year.

Snow: That’s the most obvious hazard to transportation safety when just trying to get around the area. Also if snow becomes too heavy we can face power outages and if the snow is even heavier, there can be damage to structures.

Ice: No matter how many wheel drive your vehicle has, you can’t drive on pure ice without incredible risk of losing control. Ice also causes power line and tree damage as well as slip-and-fall accidents.

Sleet: The combination of snow and ice in terms of effects. You might have less snow and less measurable ice but you can also have the net effect of frozen ball bearings on the road.

Cold exposure and heating issues: Frostbite, hypothermia and plain old discomfort lead us to scramble inside seeking safety and comfort from the cold. That can lead to possible fire or carbon monoxide threats from the heat source itself if not used properly.

Flooding: This is the one that doesn’t get talked about as much but it’s a big factor in our area when we have multiple, prolonged events where rain falls or where snow falls then melts only to be followed by more rain.

So winter is an active season. Be sure to stay ahead of it with the WOWK StormTracker 13 App free from the App Store or Google Play.