Snow has arrived in the Northwest; magical seasonal powder perfect for sledding, snowball fights, and ice-fortress construction. Not so great for driving on busy roads.

Here, then, are a few tips to keep in mind when you are behind the wheel (everybody else just fasten your seatbelt and hang on).

1) Keep plenty of gas in your tank, the added weight will help you with traction on the ice and snow. Plus, overnight, it will keep your tank from freezing.

2) Don't text, call, Facebook, shave, put on your make-up or engage in otherwise distracting behaviors while you're driving.

3) Be prepared to be stranded: store a blanket, flashlight, chains, water and snacks in your car for emergencies.

4) Gotta' go to work? Have a back-up plan: hotel, motel, Holiday-Inn. Okay, this tip doesn't involve your car, but it still makes good sense.

5) Got ABS brakes? You probably do. Keep your foot down when braking (no pumping).

6) Classic cars, without ABS brakes, will need the brakes pumped.

7) "Stability control." If you hit a patch of ice, and stability control kicks in, let the car do the work for you.

8) No "stability control" ? Experts say to steer into the skid. Accelerating may help as well.

9) Watch out for other drivers. Just because you think you can handle the icy conditions doesn't mean that they can. Skip ahead to 1:15 in my video for an example.

Note: I don't claim to be an expert on winter driving, but I've done some legwork for you in researching this stuff. Never hurts to do your own homework, however.

For more driving tips visit the WSDOT website here.