Photos by Jeanna Duerscherl | The Roanoke Times

Susan Ballentine, a receptionist at Roanoke Regional Airport, maneuvers a snow plow earlier this month to practice clearing snow off the roads.

Ballentine drives as mechanie Lynn Hodge supervises the practice session.

Highway and airport crews intend to help keep traffic moving on area roads and runways this winter by the usual chemical and mechanical means.

At the Virginia Department of Transportation, crews have stockpiled salt, a powerful agent against winter precipitation.

Its chemical arsenal also includes magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and calcium magnesium and potassium acetates.

VDOT said that if it knows a winter storm is coming, it intends to spray saltwater on major roads to prevent snow and ice from sticking.

This year, it intends to spray 800 lane miles of roads in the 12-county Salem District, or three times the distance designated for pre-treatment last year. A lane mile is one lane of road 1 mile long. Generally, crews focus the most attention soonest on roads with the most traffic, VDOT said.

VDOT's goal is to "have all roads passable within 48 hours after a storm ends," according to a news release touting the agency's preparedness in spite of budget cuts that affected other services such as mowing and rest stops.

Ronnie Bryson, superintendent at the Hanging Rock area headquarters in Salem, was called upon to brief reporters last week.

"We're ready," Bryson said.

Meanwhile, plow drivers at Roanoke Regional Airport are practicing winter maneuvers well before the first flakes fall.

They drive an obstacle course to ensure they can negotiate runways and taxiways and scoop up garden mulch as a substitute for snow.

Airport commissioners have ordered the pavement chemical potassium acetate, while the airlines have supplies of propylene glycol for deicing aircraft.

With Thanksgiving two weeks away and winter's official start five weeks from Monday, cold and ice could begin soon -- unless we see a repeat of the snowless to nearly snowless winters we have seen for several years.

The Air Transport Association predicted the economic chill will have a big effect at Thanksgiving. The association predicts a 4 percent decline in passengers from 2008 for the 12-day Thanksgiving holiday period.

VDOT warns drivers who venture out in storms to treat plows and other road vehicles as emergency vehicles: Keep your distance and do not pass.

Before setting out, a seasonal vehicle check is a good idea to ensure the safe working condition of brakes, tires, battery, windshield wipers, lights, heater and defroster, VDOT said.

VDOT recommends leaving early, watching for ice in shady spots and on bridges, staying five seconds back from other vehicles and checking www.511virginia.org or dialing 511 for road condition information before starting out.

VDOT also recommends carrying an emergency kit.

Kits should include items such as food, water, blankets, clothes, first-aid supplies, maps, a whistle, a wind-up flashlight, a candle, a can to burn the candle, matches, a warning light, a fire extinguisher, jumper cables and gear to get a vehicle unstuck from snow, such as a shovel and a tow rope.