It’s Not Over Yet: Slippery Roads Wednesday Morning, Ice Friday and Saturday
Winter Storm Quantum pelted North Texas, leaving a blanket of ice and wrecked cars in its wake in the last few days. As of Monday night, Dallas police had investigated more than 300 vehicular accidents, including at least 60 major crashes and an 18-wheeler accident that left one man dead. Wrecks continued to pile up into Tuesday morning and more are expected this week.
Dallas, Fort Worth and surrounding North Texas cities virtually shut down. Air travelers in the region faced more than 1,600 cancelled flights and about 4,000 delayed flights, most of those into and out of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Even the DART transit system was suspended. Officials closed schools in Dallas, Arlington, Irving, Plano, Richardson and numerous other school districts on Monday and Tuesday, a smart decision to keep children off the dangerous roads.
Dallas-Fort Worth Roads Could Continue To Be Dangerous
If you were considering traveling anywhere, my suggestion is to stay put. Yesterday morning, the roads remained treacherous with ice still making pavement slick and accidents blocking major thoroughfares. An 18-wheeler that jackknifed near I-635 on U.S. 75 blocked two lanes of traffic. Monday, all lanes of the eastbound I-30 at Belt Line in Grand Prairie were shut down because of an auto accident.
Ice Under Snow
The forecast calls for some snow on Wednesday, possibly as much as two inches in some areas of the Metroplex. The snow may cover ice that hasn’t yet melted, creating slick spots that are difficult to see. In addition, vehicles travelling over snow pack and refreeze the water into ice patches.
If you must be on the road, drive at a safe speed, which might not be the posted speed limit. Although you should always keep your attention on the road, distracted driving is particularly dangerous in icy weather. You need to respond quickly to regain control of your vehicle if you hit an icy patch or to brake if you encounter a car crash.