Winter weather advisory affecting 6 Massachusetts counties through early Saturday morning

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory at 10:08 a.m. Friday for southern Worcester, as well as Middlesex, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Bristol and Plymouth counties, in effect until 4 a.m. Saturday.

The weather service comments: “Plant accumulations to 2 to 4 inches.”

“Plan for slippery road conditions. Hazardous conditions may impact the Friday evening commute,” the weather service comments. “Slow down and be careful when traveling.”

Winter weather driving safety: Navigating the cold with expert tips from the weather service

Winter icy road conditions often make roads dangerous, leading to more than 6,000 vehicle deaths and more than 480,000 injuries due to weather conditions each year. When you find yourself on roads slick with snow or freezing rain, safety should be your top priority. Slow down and be careful. In near-freezing temperatures, it’s wise to assume there’s ice on the road and adjust your driving accordingly. Be careful of ice accumulating on power lines and tree branches as they can break and fall. If possible, avoid driving in these conditions altogether. But if you must go out, choose routes with fewer trees and power lines, and never touch a downed power line. If you encounter such a situation, call 911 immediately. Here are additional tips for driving in winter weather:

Share your travel plans:

When traveling out of town during hazardous winter weather, keep family or friends informed of your destination, planned route, and estimated time of arrival.

Prepare your vehicle:

Make sure your gas tank is full and equip your vehicle with winter essentials like a windshield scraper, jumper cables, a small shovel, flashlight, cell phone, blankets, extra warm clothing, drinking water and high-calorie, non-perishable foods.

Stay calm when you are stranded:

If you are stranded, stay calm. Notify someone of your condition and location. Avoid trying to walk to safety. Tape a cloth to your car’s antenna or mirror to indicate that you need help. Make your vehicle more visible by using dome light and blinkers.

Watch out for snow blowers:

Watch out for snow plows and leave enough room for them to pass. Only cross the plow when you can clearly see the road ahead.

Check road conditions:

Verify current road conditions to make informed travel decisions before starting your journey.

Stay safe on winter roads and reduce the risk of accidents in harsh weather conditions with these valuable winter driving tips from the weather service.

Enhanced Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots that uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.