Freezing Rain Causes Slick Road Conditions

Fenton roads were slick for a couple hours Friday morning, and although the ice didn’t cause any major problems, it did lead to both and schools to cancel classes for the day.

“They were bad for a short period,” said director Dan Czarnecki.  “Early in the morning I could hear the rain and we got a call from the police saying the roads were pretty slick.”

Czarnecki said two salt trucks traveled through town around 6:30 a.m. A third truck was sent out later to make sure the roads were safe. The trucks continued to salt the roads until about 7:30 a.m. when conditions began to improve.

“As soon as the guys got out there and put the salt down, it started melting real quick,” Czarnecki said. "It warmed up a bit and the roads were fine."

Genesee County Sheriff Sgt. Michael Ignash said there were a few minor accidents in the region, but no serious incidents.

A winter weather advisory is in effect until noon Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The advisory includes Genesee, Oakland and Livingston Counties.

Freezing rain showers developed across Southeast Michigan early Friday morning, wreaking havoc on roads and causing multiple freeway closures.

“With the evaporational cooling, the rain will still be freezing to the surface for another couple hours,” said Dave Kook, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's White Lake office.

He said rain will taper off by about noon.

Overall, Kook said, an inch of rain is expected through Saturday, followed by a half-inch of snow in the later afternoon or early evening.

“The bulk of the rain’s going to fall tonight and Saturday morning,” he said. “It’s going to depend a lot on how fast it refreezes Saturday night into Sunday (and) how much liquid is on the road and if they salt.”

Kook said secondary roads may be more hazardous because of the combination of snow and ice.

He said the combination of rain on frozen ground adds up to potential flooding, because “we still have 3 to 5 inches of snow on the ground and the ground is still frozen, so it’s all going to run off into creeks and rivers.”

Lousy as the weather is today, it could be worse. In 1900, snow piled up to 16.1 inches, the third-heaviest snowfall recorded in Southeast Michigan.

For today and through this weekend, the National Weather Service advises people to use caution while driving, expect longer travel times and a greater risk of accidents.