The temperature in my area warmed up a little bit. And some snow fell earlier today. And the snow turned to ice as it came into contact with the highways.
I've had the scanner on this afternoon, listening to the police calls for my town and the surrounding area. I have heard the highways described as skating rinks. Several sections of freeway have had to be shut down due to crashes. During the first fifteen minutes of listening to the scanner there were reports of 6 crashes - either rear end collisions or vehicles sliding into the ditches.
Two big trucks slid off the road into the ditch. Another collided with a car.
As the afternoon progresses, it has gotten to the point where they can't keep up with all of the accidents, and are reporting them two and three at a time. There aren't enough tow trucks.
I called both my daughters who were at their jobs, just to tell them about the roads, in case they didn't know.
OK. I'm done with winter now. Spring can come most any time.
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1 hour ago
The local wrecker services work until they drop during our rare ice situations.
ReplyDeleteAs an experienced driver of northern climes once told me, when I asked about driving on ice: "Nobody with any sense drives on ice".
Jess...I'm thinking that the wrecker services here are deep into overtime.
ReplyDeleteThe northern driver you talked with is absolutely right. Stay home!
At one point this afternoon, there was a curve in a road that was glare ice. One after another people headed into that curve without slowing down, skidded out of control and into the ditch. I don't know how many cars ended up piled against one another, but they shut that section of highway down.
Yep. Stay home. And if you can't - slow down!
Our periods of ice rarely last more than an overnight period of time, and usually just on overpasses and bridges.
ReplyDeleteWe did have a period of time years ago, where it hovered right below freezing for three days. The wrecker owner I talked to, after the event, told me he stayed up for 36 hours and made a huge amount of money pulling people out of ditches.
Jess...I'll bet that was one tired but happy wrecker driver!
ReplyDeleteThe bridges and overpasses are the first things to ice up, followed by freeway on/off ramps and then the highways themselves. We probably won't see above freezing temps until closer to spring. But we do have a fleet of trucks that are out spreading sand and salt on the roads so by tomorrow morning they should be fairly clear of ice.
I just turned the scanner off minutes ago and the ditches were still full of vehicles. You would think that the natives would know better, but it is like this every time the roads get a little slippery.
Why do so many folks forget how to drive in the winter???
ReplyDeleteI don't know, Rob...Seems like it takes two or three snowstorms before anyone remembers. I think everybody is in such a hurry that they forget to slow down.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are staying inside and don't have to go out in that. It has been really cold by our standards down here, just under zero at night. But we have not had snow. We are expecting some light freezing rain tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteHarry...I am forever grateful that I happened to find the grocery delivery service, which is working out really well for me. It enables me to keep fresh dairy and produce in the house, and every two weeks I order a few things for food storage. And I can stay inside where it is warm!
ReplyDeleteSounds like your weather is pretty much like ours without the -30 wind chill factor. There are all sorts of theories about why the weather is what it is, but thinking back, there is really nothing unusual from years past. It's just we complain about it more on social media!! :) Enjoy your down time. I am, and that's what keeps cabin fever at bay.