Icy roads, car crashes reported Wednesday, as more freezing rain approaches Fort Worth
Slick roads and car crashes were reported in North Texas on Wednesday morning after freezing drizzle overnight, coupled with frigid temperatures, created icy conditions.
Impacts were relatively minor as a whole across the Dallas-Fort Worth region, though some roads and bridges in the multiplex accumulated with ice, according to Sarah Barnes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. For example, the bridge in Grapevine connecting State Highway 121 to State Highway 114 was closed in the morning for slick spots, she said over the phone.
Areas farther north, like Haslet and Denison, had more ice on the roads Wednesday morning that led to closures and crashes, Barnes said. Matt Zavadsky, a spokesman for MedStar, said its ambulances responded to 12 crashes overnight into the morning, which is about double a typical morning. Ten of the 12 accidents were farther north where roads were slicker, “so it’s likely weather played a part,” he said.
“The next few days should be interesting,” Zavadsky said.
The potential for freezing rain was expected to continue Wednesday evening sometime after 6 p.m., as temperatures hover below freezing, around 30. There should be “heavier rainfall rates” overnight into Thursday morning in DFW, with freezing rain and possibly sleet, according to Barnes. She noted it’s harder to predict where sleet could occur.
“We’re expecting a bit more impact tomorrow,” she said Wednesday morning. “We didn’t see a whole lot of freezing rain today — more just freezing drizzle — so it was really just those elevated surfaces that were more impacted by that. But tonight we’ll have a bit more actual precipitation falling.”
The weather service has issued a winter weather advisory for North Texas through 3 p.m. Thursday, warning freezing rain could lead to icy bridges and roadways. People are advised to slow down and use caution while driving, and to prepare for possible power outages.
Barnes said people should stay up-to-date to the weather service’s forecast and monitor the local news.
“Also there’s DriveTexas.org that people can check out for actual road conditions,” she said. “Those will be the best route to take as we try to tackle this winter weather.”
Temperatures on Wednesday were expected to reach around 33, according to the weather service forecast. The high is expected to be around 34 on Thursday, 32 on Friday and 29 on Saturday.
Barnes noted cold arctic air hanging over North Texas has been responsible for the plunge in temperatures.
There’s about a 20% chance of snow and sleet before noon Saturday, and a 50% chance of snow late Sunday night and Monday morning, the forecast shows.
This story was originally published February 9, 2021 at 10:16 PM.
