BOISE, Idaho — A fresh snowfall can mean many different things for people. It provided a day of fun for sledders who flocked to Camel's Back Park to race down its hill. But snow can also mean a headache for holiday travelers.
Weather conditions throughout the region led to delays and cancelations on one of the busiest travel days of the year. The Boise Airport was visited by a team of furry friends to help travelers deal with anxiety.
"They bring a lot of comfort to people in no matter what venue that they do. Our mission is to bring comfort with our four-legged friends," Jo Egbert, team coordinator of Go Team Idaho Therapy Dogs said. "And at the airport, the kids are restless, they're stressed out, and so we can say hi and they can pet a dog, and they immediately calm down. The main goal is stressbusting."
Air travel was not the only thing impacted by the snow. From the tarmac to the roads, snow and icy conditions can also be a danger to drivers.
As of 2 p.m. MT Friday, the Ada County Sheriff's Office had responded to 24 crashes and six slide-offs due to winter weather conditions.
"As is in Idaho, winter hits us hard - today is evidence of that. We see a lot more increase of crashes, mostly because people don't really realize to slow down," Sgt. Doug Harward of the Nampa Police Department said. "It's more about respecting the roads the way there are, not so much being afraid of them, but just respecting the fact that they can be a little more dangerous."
Harward said one of the most important things that drivers should do when snow hits the roads is to slow down, and give yourself some extra space.
"When you're so close to another vehicle - if you start sliding, that comes up quick," Harward said. "So, if you give yourself a little bit of extra space, give yourself more time. Ultimately, it comes down to everybody's in a hurry, it's the holidays, you want to your last minute shopping in. And so we just ask people to give yourselves a little more time, slow down a little bit - and more time to slow and to break."
It's also helpful to keep your car's daytime running lights on, most newer cars will automatically turn them on.
Posted speed limits are for dry and clear roads, poor road conditions means that drivers have to slow down. Idaho has a basic rule requiring drivers to drive at a speed that is "reasonable and prudent" at all times, under any conditions.
"If it's raining, if it's snowing, if it's icy outside, we would encourage you to slow down and drive within reason and your skill level so that you don't get into an accident, cause a crash or just be a danger to those on the road," Harward said.
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