Chains Required / Wind Advisory Signs

I was wondering what triggers those signs to turn on. Is it a weather station that sends out the signals to turn on the signs? Also, what conditions cause the signal to be sent out? I see the 'chain required' in pretty much all the icy parts of Cali, but Colorado doesn't appear to have those signs. In Colorado, should I automatically put on chains if the temperature goes below a certain temperature? Is there something I should be looking for besides ice or snow?

And I've seen the 'commercial vehicles prohibited due to high winds' signs on stretches of the 93 in Nevada. What makes that part of the desert need those signs? The 58 in Cali or the I-40 seem to get just as windy but they don't have the wind advisory signs...

I have a friend who is a county sheriffs dispatcher here in Florida. He has told me that the highway message boards are controlled from the dispatch center. He has told me how they often have to display everything from safety messages, to accidents, traffic backups, amber alerts, wrong-way driver alerts, etc. Basically it seems that many if not most of these message boards are controlled manually from dispatch centers in most jurisdictions.

RE: Chains, Don't put em on, until you're at the spot you are required to.....My last co-driver, we had to chain up in Bishop, Nor Cal. And once we got past the snow, he drove on em once we were back on asphalt ! I told him to pull it over asap and let's get em off NOW....

He figured seeing a mountain range, miles n miles away, we "might" need the chains on again, DUHHH we ain't goin' thru those hahaha Took us all of 15 minutes to de-chain 6 wheels

I see the 'chain required' in pretty much all the icy parts of Cali, but Colorado doesn't appear to have those signs. In Colorado, should I automatically put on chains if the temperature goes below a certain temperature? Is there something I should be looking for besides ice or snow?

Colorado has chain law signs and they flash when chain law is in effect. Not everywhere has them though. They’re all over 70 west of Denver. If you’re on a pass that doesn’t have them it’s purely up to your discretion when to chain up unless DOT has a check point setup making everyone chain. In areas with the flashing signs you can chain up even if chain law isn’t in effect.

If you’re really concerned about your traction either stop or chain. If you’re inexperienced and don’t know if you should chain or not just look around and see if anyone else is chained up.

A lot of times you will see everyone pulling over and putting on chains. DOT often stops you to confirm you have chains. There are sometimes even people who willl charge you to put them on for you.