GREEN BAY, WI -- Driving in Northeast Wisconsin is about to take a turn for the worst.
Experts urge drivers to listen to warnings, and stay off the streets if possible.
By this time tomorrow night, drivers will likely be battling near whiteout conditions brought on by inches of snowfall and gusty winds.
And be ready, as these conditions are going to slow traffic down.
Fleets of snowplows--from Oshkosh to De Pere--are preparing to spend hours clearing the roads, long after the snow stops falling.
"We won't actually bring the full crew in until it's actually just about done as far as snowing," says Scott Thoresen, of De Pere Public Works, "because we don't to actually go out and plow, and all of a sudden we get two more inches, and then we have to plow again."
That means drivers need to be ready to slow down, and share the road.
"Too many people forget how to drive in the winter," says Green Bay driving instructor Phil Wilson.
They're simple lessons that Wilson teaches every day to his students.
"First thing they need to do is drive slow," says Wilson. "Slow down, leave more room for the car in front of you, and your car."
Wilson says a significant number of winter accidents could be prevented if drivers gave one another more space.
"You can't tailgate somebody," reminds Wilson. "If they hit their brakes, and you think, 'oh I could break and end up at the same distance apart,' you're wrong."
And no distractions in slick conditions.
"Distraction is anything that takes your mind off of driving," says Wilson, "your cell phone, putting a cd in your cd player, playing the radio, talking to [your] friends, eating drinking."
Of course, passing on the roads is not encouraged tomorrow.
But if you need to pass someone, experts say do it confidently and in control, and always in the passing lane.
As drivers, you need to remember to stay at least 200 feet behind a snowplow.
It's state law, but also for your safety.
