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s 613.69 A16MTWS tana's Take-Along 2003 WINTER SURVIVAL Handbook 200b MONTANA or.v Disaster & Emergency Services Division 8c Mdntana Department of Transportation MontanaStateLibrary 3 0864 1003 4872 4 MONTANA'S TAKE-ALONG WINTER SURVIVAL HANDBOOK Writtenby LarryAkers, EmergencyManagementSpecialist Co-Sponsored By: Disaster & Emergency Services A DivisionoftheDepartmentofMilitaryAffairs 1900 Williams St PO Box4789 MT Helena 59604-4789 servinggnuwithpride Montana Department ofTransportation 2701 ProspectAve PO Box201001 MT Helena 59620-1001 November 2003 Sixth Edition 2 Table of Contents Introduction 5 Montana Driving Hazards 6 Warnings 7 Montana Department ofTransportation Reports 8 NOAA Weather Radio 9 Taking Care ofa Friend 11 Starting a Cold Car 12 Winter Driving Techniques 13 & All About Tires Traction 16 Other Tips Before Your Trips 17 Automobile Winter Survival Kit 18 Automobile Parts Can Save Lives 20 Ifa Storm Traps You in Your Car 20 Light Up in an Emergency 21 Towing 22 Survival for Outdoor Activities 22 Don't Leave Your Buddy 23 Backpack Survival Kit 24 Avalanche 27 Winter Safety Tips for the Home 30 Dress to Fit the Season 31 Wind Chill Index 32 Cold Weather Injuries 33 Hypothermia 37 Protection for Pets 39 Protection for Livestock 40 Hazardous Materials Incident Tips 41 Notes 42 Formorecopiesofthisbook,contactyourcountyDisasterandEmergencyServicesOffice (listedinthegovernmentsectionofyourtelephonebook)orcall800/714/7296. Introduction The intent ofthis publication is to provide basic survival information that can save lives. TheresidentsofMontanaaregreatoutdoorspeople, whetherit'sforworkorfor pleasure. BecauseofthesizeofTheBigSkyState, Montanansdoagreatdealof travelingin the pursuitoftheirworkand play.A large portionofthis booklet is devoted to tips related to safewinter drivingandwhat to do ifstranded. Did you knowthat a hubcap can save your life? Each winter hundreds ofthousands ofMontana residents and visitors take to our winter wonderland in pursuit ofthe most fantastic hunting available any- where. Our ski resorts and crosscountry trailsare second to none. With the ad- ventofthe snowmobile and the all-terrainvehicle, remoteareasare nowonlya short time away. But, when all this modern technology fails, it may be a very longwalkout. Doyou know how to make a shelterwith a jackknife and piece ofstring? Ridealongaswetakeyou safelydownthe highwayonawinterjourney. Enjoya snowy outing through Montana's breathtaking landscape, confident you have the gear to weather any storm. Allow us to give you some tips on weathering a storm at home, and some thoughts about caring for pets and one ofMontana's greatest economicassets, her livestock. It iswitha great deal ofpride that the Montana DivisionofDisasterand Emer- gencyServicesandtheMontanaDepartmentofTransportationpresentthishand- book. Montana Driving Hazards Montana hasoneofthehighest highwayfatalityrates inthenation. Someofthe very things that draw people to Montana pose driving hazards you need to be awareof. © Mostfatalcrashesinvolvea singlevehicle leavingtheroadandoverturningor hittingsomething. © In 2003alone, over500driversfellasleepatthewheelandwere involved in crashes.Distancesbetweentownscanbelongandtravelcanbemonotonous. Takeabreak,whetheratacommunityorarestarea.Ifyoudrink, haveasober designateddriver. © Twenty to forty percent ofall crashes occur under icy or snowy conditions. Severeweatherandroadconditionscanhappeninanymonthoftheyear. © Thewildlifethatdrawssomanyvisitorsposesaformidableroadhazard.Hun- dredsofcollisionswithanimalsoccureachyear.They'remostcommoninearly morningandlateafternoonandeveningwhenanimalsaremovingfromforage tocover. © Night-timecrashratesaremuch higherthanthosethatoccurduringtheday. Realizeyourheadlightslimityoursightdistance.Adjustyourspeedtoaccount forreducedvisibilityandtheveryrealpossibilityofencounteringananimal,a stalledvehicle,orotherobjectsinyourpath. For all emergencies, dial 911 (statewide)! Ifyou drink, please do not drive, use a desig- nated driver. To report drunk, erratic or unsafe drivers call 800/525-5555 (Montana Highway Patrol. This is NOT a road report or general information number!) According to Montana State Law, it is now mandatory that all passengers use seatbelts. Warnings Thewinterwonderlandthat makesMontanasobeautifulcanalsobelifethreat- ening. Winter blizzards, heavy snows, ice storms, freezingrain and high winds can be a serious hazard toourcitizens, whetherat workorplay. Oneofthe best defenses is to keep informed. By understandingand observingstorm warnings, we can make adequate preparations to lessen the impact ofhazardous weather onourselves,ourproperty, pets,andlivestock.Totakefulladvantageofweather forecasts, knowthe specific meaningofthetermscommonly used: © WATCH WARNING: VS. Thesetwotermscausemoreconfusion thanalltherest.Awatchsimplymeansthatweatherconditionsarefavorable fora storm, blizzard, tornadoorwhatever. Awarningmeans, "It's here, part- ner." © WINTER STORM WATCH: Severe winterweather condi- tionsmayaffectyourarea(freezingrain, sleet,orheavysnow). © WINTERSTORM WARNING: Severewinterweatherconditions areimminent. © HEAVY SNOW WARNING: Asnowfallofat least six inches in 12hoursoreightinchesin24hqursisexpected.(Heavysnowcanmeanlesser amountswherewinterstormsare infrequent.) © BLIZZARDWARNING: Considerablefallingand/orblowingsnow andsustainedwindsofatleast35milesperhourareexpectedforseveralhours. Mostofthe snow ina blizzard is inthe form offine powdery particleswhich arewhipped insuchgreatquantitiesthatattimesvisibilityisonlyafewfeet. © HIGH WIND WARNING: Sustained winds ofat least 40 miles perhourorgustsofatleast50milesperhourareexpectedtolastforonehour. These thresholds are higher for the upper Yellowstone Valley and along the easternfrontofthe Rockies. © WINTERWEATHERADVISORY: Weatherconditionsareex pectedtocausesignificantinconveniencesandmaybehazardous.Ifcautionis exercised, thesesituationsshouldnotbecome lifethreatening. FOR CURRENT WEATHER INFORMATION Billings 652-1916 National Weather Services (NWS) NWS Billings http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/billings/ Glasgow ...228-4042 NWS Glasgow http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/Glasgow/ Great Falls 453-5469 NWSGreat Falls http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/greatfalls/ Helena 443-5151 Kalispell 755-4829 Missoula 721-3939 NWS Missoula http://www.wrh.noaa.gOv/missoula// For access to any NWS homepage in the United States http://nimbo.wrh.noaa.gov/wrhq/nwspage.html ROAD ForStatewideRoadConditions REPORTS Dial511 or1-800-226-7623 1-800-335-7592(TTY) RoadInformationfor NationalWeatherService RoadConditionsinthevicinityof NearbyStates&Provinces 10Montanacitiesaredescribedin Billings (406)652-1916 reportsavailableatthenumbersshown Idaho (888)432-7623 Glasgow (406)228-9625 onthemap.Adetailedreportbeginning NorthDakota (866)696-3511 GreatFalls (406)453-5469 withInterstatesprovidesstatewide SouthDakota (605)367-5707 Helena (406)443-5151 conditionsbeginningat6:45a.m.with Utah (801)964-6000 Kalispell (406)755-4829 updatesasconditionschange.Reports Washington (800)695-7623 Missoula (406)721-3939 agerneerparlloyvifdreomdtsheeveenndodfaOycstoabewreuentki,l WAlyboemrtiang ((370870))747712--60085264 Emergencies Dial911 theendofApril. BritishColumbia(604)660-9770 Foradditionaltravelerinformation Saskatchewan (306)787-7623 www.mdt.state.mt.us/travinfo ibyMDTsMaintenanceDivisionInformalic availablebyrequest.Phone(406)444-0468orwritePOBox201001.Helena.MT59620-1001 StuddedtiresarelegalinMontanaOctober1-May31. 8