Assessments and recriminations are continuing concerning the incredible pileup of 80 vehicles that left six dead and two dozen injured on Interstate 81 near the Minersville exit in Schuylkill County on March 28.

Many are wondering how 39 commercial and 41 private vehicles could wind up in such a crash. If you have never been caught in a surprise snow squall while driving on a superhighway, consider yourself fortunate.

I have not encountered this type of snow squall here in Pennsylvania, but I was caught up in two lake effect snow squalls when I lived in Oswego, New York, and, let me tell you, these were among the scariest moments of my life.

On the one occasion, I was driving along in sunny weather on I-81 in central New York, when a short distance away I saw this dark cloud coming toward me. Within seconds it began snowing furiously, and the road conditions became instantly treacherous. I could barely see the taillights of the vehicle in front of me.

Since I was new to the area, I had been counseled by local residents never to stop on the roadway as long as traffic was still moving because it is sure to cause a following motorist to plow into me and set off a chain-reaction crash.

In both of my experiences, the squalls lasted for just about five minutes, then the sun was visible once again, and everything was fine.

These multivehicle crashes have been happening more frequently around the country. Several highways have been targeted as really dangerous when these unexpected squalls descend on the roadway. I-81 is on the list.

In the Schuylkill County crash, there is concern that although the National Weather Service issued advisories for snow squalls throughout eastern Pennsylvania, there was none specifically for this stretch of I-81.

State police said that there were three crashes on I-81 north at the same general location between Jan. 1, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2020. Data for 2021 have not yet been released.

So what are snow squalls, and what makes them so dangerous? According to meteorologists with whom I spoke, they are triggered most often by a strong cold front, and they are characterized by quick and intense bursts of snow which seemingly come out of nowhere, taking motorists by surprise.

In addition to the snowfall, these squalls are accompanied by gusty winds and unstable atmospheric conditions. This swirling, along with an abundance of snow in a short period of time, cuts visibility to near zero in a matter of seconds, leaving motorists panicky, even disoriented.

Combined with excessive speed as motorists are going 70 mph or more on these major highways and often do not recognize the dangers looming just feet in front of them, the result can turn deadly rapidly. Factor in multiple fires, which were byproducts of the I-81 crash, and it can lead to not only serious injury but death. In fact, according to investigators, all six of the I-81 crash victims burned to death, their bodies burned beyond recognition. The Schuylkill County Coroner’s Office is in the process of matching family DNA to that of victims to make positive identifications before officially releasing the victims’ names to the public.

I-81, a major north-south highway, handles more than 10,000 vehicles a day at the crash site location, according to the state Department of Transportation.

As these snow squalls become more frequent, meteorologists are now issuing special snow squall advisories when they are detected. These started in 2018. Because of their unpredictable nature, advance warnings might vary between a few minutes to an hour.

These notifications can trigger alerts on smartphones or through the Emergency Alert Systems over special broadcast frequencies. If you get one of these warnings, you are advised not to travel until the squall passes.

Let’s be honest - there is no 100% safe place on the highway if you are caught in one of these intense squalls. The best you can do is follow these lifesaving precautions: Turn on your headlights and emergency flashers, slow down and keep a safe distance from traffic in front of you. If you encounter stopped traffic in front of you, try to pull off the travel lane as far from the roadway as you can do so safely.

If you are involved in the pileup, your choices are to stay in the vehicle with your seat belt on or run as far away from the roadway as humanly possible. Then pray and hope for the best, and don’t be tempted to stop to take videos.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.