Getting to Snowshoe in a winter storm.

Before the signal drops

Snowshoe sits in the United States National Radio Quiet Zone, the wide area around Green Bank where radio traffic is limited so the telescopes can work. Cell service is thin across that stretch. On some drives it drops for the last hour to hour and a half. Before you lose a signal, download offline maps, tell someone your ETA, and save the home's address.

Check the roads at wv511.org while you still can. West Virginia also runs the same information by phone at 511, and it is not something to look up while you are driving. Clear-weather times are on the getting here page, about 3 hours 45 minutes from Northern Virginia and about 4 to 4.5 hours from Pittsburgh or Richmond, and snow adds time. If you are coming through Green Bank, get gas there when the station is open, because the station at the bottom of the mountain sometimes runs out on busy weekends. Put a phone charger where the driver can reach it.

What to have in the car

• Pack a shovel. Not a plastic toy, a compact metal shovel. You will be glad you did, and you will probably help someone else.
• Buy the best ice scraper you can find, and do not leave it in the car. Bring it inside at night.
• No remote start? Bring a can of de-icer so you can actually get into the car, especially if you have a roof box. Again: do not leave it in the car.
• Driving a 4x4 with locking hubs? Lock the hubs when you park. If you get snowed in and they freeze, you may not be able to lock them later.
• Cash helps. When you need a hand, $50 goes a long way and solves problems fast.
• Driving diesel? Pack an emergency fuel additive, especially if you are coming from the South, where diesel blends are not made for this kind of cold.

Snowshoe is amazing in this weather. Come prepared so it stays fun instead of stressful.