Local travel is not a problem, as the immediate Marietta area is expected to escape a major winter storm. The Weather Service has placed Washington County under a Freezing Rain Advisory until 1:00 PM today. The forecast calls for a slight chance of patchy freezing rain this morning, with rain and sleet near 100 percent likely all day and evening, changing to snow and maybe accumulating an inch by morning. Local temperatures are expected to remain in the mid 30s today, with a low in the upper 20s tonight. And only rain is expected to our south and southwest.  

 

However, if you are planning travel from Marietta to the northwest, north or east today or tonight, be aware that winter storm warnings are in effect for the northern two-thirds of Ohio, as nearby as Noble County, along with most of Pennsylvania and the mountains of West Virginia, for significant snow and/or ice. 

 

In addition, there is a rare Blizzard Warning in effect for a portion of western and northern Ohio. Travel is strongly discouraged in the Blizzard Warning area which is from just north of Cincinnati up through Dayton, Springfield, Marysville, Marion, Findlay, Sandusky and Cleveland.  

 

WMOA News is watching ODOT’s road/weather sensors on buckeyetraffic.org this morning, and the sensors in Washington and bordering counties show temperatures above freezing as of 7:00 AM with the exception of the Morgan County ODOT garage in McConnelsville, which is at 32 degrees.

 

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While there’s not a lot that vehicle owners can do to avoid danger while driving on ice, the condition of your vehicle’s tires can make a big difference in snow and rain.

 

WMOA News spoke with Ted Mahone of Mahone’s Tires on Front Street, who says it’s crucial to check your tires occasionally to make sure they have enough tread to provide good traction.

 

“You don’t want to be going down the road and spin out in front of someone and get killed,” he points out.

 

We asked Mahone about the old penny trick – placing a penny between treads and, if part of Lincoln’s head is covered, the tread depth is sufficient.

 

“Yeah, the penny trick shows two thirty-seconds of an inch left, and you really need more tread than that.”

 

So a penny check will indeed show when your tires should be replaced. It’s also a good idea to check your tires’ air pressure several times a year. Most local garages and tire shops will check them free of charge.