(Radio Iowa) – Studies find nearly 75-percent of crashes in Iowa happen in less than two inches of snow, and researchers at the University of Iowa are looking into the ideal commute times. Professor Jon Davis, in the U-I Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, says the timing of your drive can make a world of difference.  “The commute is something that we often don’t think about as part of the actual work day in regards to health and safety,” Davis says, “but it really is, for a lot of people, the most dangerous thing they do all day.” More people on the roads means more opportunities for a collision, and when the roads are slick from rain or snow, the risks of a fender-bender rise exponentially — especially during the busy morning commutes.

“In our work, we actually looked at the different commute times and where we saw winter weather really playing a role in crashes began around 6:30 and didn’t start to taper off until 9,” Davis says. “So, if you can wait longer or avoid it all together, you are going to improve the safeness of your drive.” During the height of the pandemic lockdown, 40-percent of Iowans were working remotely, and that number is still 25-to-30-percent. When the weather’s foul, Davis suggests if you can work from home, do, or at least go in later. “If you delay your commute into work, you’re really increasing your safe drive,” Davis says. “It’s a lot less hazardous. Even waiting 30 minutes or an hour to go into work — and for those who can work remotely, you can completely remove that risk. It only takes a small amount of snow to make that drive more hazardous.”

The U-I research found workplaces that adopt policies for flexible work start times or for telecommuting will empower workers to avoid hazardous driving conditions. “We put time and resources into making work-from-home easy. People have set up home offices, learned how to use different software to do virtual meetings, so let’s make use of that infrastructure,” Davis says. “For those people who have that option, it’s great if they can exercise that option when weather is bad.”

If you have to be at work in person and the weather’s foul, remember to dress for the conditions, bring along blankets, snacks, water, have a fully-charged cell phone and a full tank of gas.

343 AM CST Tue Feb 22 2022

.A long duration of mainly light wintry precipitation will continue to impact Iowa this morning. The wintry mix is expected
to transition to snow north by this (Tuesday) morning in northern areas and freezing drizzle may continue through portions of central and southern Iowa. The morning commute may be affected for many locations due to either snow covered or icy roads, especially if left untreated.

Sac-Crawford-Carroll-Audubon-Cass-Adams and Taylor Counties: A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM today for mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations of less than one inch and a light glaze up to a few hundredths of an inch of ice.

Guthrie-Dallas-Adair-Madison-Union-Ringgold Counties: WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON today.

Monona-Harrison-Shelby-Pottawattamie-Mills Counties:

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON TODAY…
…WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST WEDNESDAY…

* WHAT…For the Winter Weather Advisory, mixed precipitation. Additional snow accumulations of up to one inch and ice
accumulations of a light glaze. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph. For the Wind Chill Advisory, very cold wind chills
expected. Wind chills as low as 30 below zero.

* IMPACTS…Plan on slippery walkways and road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning commute.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Slow down and use caution while traveling. For the latest travel conditions, check the Iowa 5 1 1 app or dial 5 1 1.