PennDOT District 3 Pre-treats Roads, Urges Limited Travel in Union County

PennDOT District 3 pre-treated major routes in its nine-county region, including Union County, on Monday, March 2, 2026, and issued a winter-weather advisory urging motorists to limit travel as the storm was forecast to arrive Tuesday morning, March 3, 2026. In its Montoursville, PA release the agency said, “The department is prepared and has plenty of salt and anti-skid on hand.”

PennDOT specified the operational action in the release: “Today, Monday, March 2, 2026, crews will be pre-treating major routes throughout the nine-county region which includes Bradford, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, and Union counties.” The statement ties the pre-treatment directly to preparations ahead of the March 3 arrival and identifies the geographic scope that covers Union County.

The department framed its advisory around changing road conditions and plow safety. PennDOT warned drivers to be cautious near maintenance operations and issued specific safety guidance: “Drivers should always allow plenty of space when driving near plow trucks. Also, for their own safety and the safety of plow operators, drivers should never attempt to pass a truck while it is plowing or spreading winter materials.” The agency also noted that it recommends avoiding travel during winter storms when possible.

Travel monitoring and information resources remain available through the state’s traveler information system. PennDOT said drivers can check statewide conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, using the 511PA system. “511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,200 traffic cameras,” the release said. “511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.”

Local weather reporting captured contemporaneous conditions for nearby communities. The Daily Review weather widget for Towanda, PA listed: “Areas of patchy fog early. Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. High 58F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..” and for overnight it showed: “Cloudy. Periods of rain early. Low around 50F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.” The widget was marked “Updated: March 7, 2026 @ 2:37 am.”

PennDOT’s District 3 advisory and pre-treatment actions are intended to keep primary routes in and around Union County passable during the March 3 event; the agency urged drivers to monitor conditions, heed plow-safety directions, and use 511PA and regional alerts for real-time updates as crews work across Bradford, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, and Union counties. Keep up with PennDOT on social media for the latest operational notices.