SCRANTON, Pa. — After watching hundreds of drivers spend a bitterly cold night on an icy Virginia highway earlier this week, many of us likely had the same thought as Carina Howell from State College.
"I was thinking about how I could be better prepared myself when I get stuck. Because I've been stuck on Interstate 80 before," said Howell.
"When bad weather does hit, you certainly have to be prepared. You never know when ice - you know, there's no way of stopping yourself on ice," added Nick Wasynczuk of Pittsburgh.
Or maybe you're more like Deb Barton, who we found passing through Luzerne County on her journey from upstate New York to Florida.
"Ya know, I live in the northeast. I don't really worry about it. I always pack sensibly. I've got a sleeping bag, extra boots, clothes, water. Yeah, I'm prepared," explained Barton.
Most people Newswatch 16 talked to say they like to keep a few essentials in their cars during the winter, just in case, like hats and gloves, snacks, water, and a phone charger.
"Do not travel without a full tank of gas. Make sure that you have a blanket, medications, a shovel," said Jessica Ruddy, a PennDOT spokesperson.
PennDOT's Jessica Ruddy says there's no shortage of drivers or materials this winter.
"We did get some new people, and we got some annuitants that came back. So we are prepared."
But what about employees coming down with COVID?
"We have a plan in place, and with the new CDC guidelines, it should help us this winter. But if for some reason we are experiencing shortages because of COVID, then we can always move teams around from district to district depending on who's getting hit the worst," said Ruddy.
For the latest forecast, click here.