Severe winter weather is again responsible for major hazards in Washington County – this now for a third consecutive day.
Particularly as it relates to motorists, ice and snow have caused treacherous travel conditions across the area.
With start of day temperatures again today in the low to mid teens, the cold alone brings its own dangers when outdoors, if without proper protection.
As reported over the past two days, winter storm Enzo has brought historic amounts of snowfall to the southern United States.
The “once in a lifetime” weather event has brought unfamiliar conditions to populations all over the region.
While many families enjoyed a snow day yesterday – making snowmen, drawing snow angels, tossing snowballs, and creating snow-filled memories – local officials continued to heed warnings of the hazardous side of the weather.
The wintry-mix of precipitation first entered Washington County on Tuesday afternoon and intermittently continued into the early overnight hours of Wednesday. It brought up to 4 or more inches of snowfall accumulation to a majority of the portions within the county.
With temperatures barely topping the freezing mark of 32 degrees yesterday, despite the sunshine, much snow remained on the ground and ice still stood on many roadways.
In turn, a harmful re-freezing event took place overnight – forming patches of black ice on certain roads.
Black ice is a thin, transparent layer of ice that forms on road surfaces. It is difficult to spot and extremely dangerous.
Most often formed when rain or melted snow refreezes on cold road surfaces, bridges and overpasses are particularly susceptible, due to exposure of cold air from above and below.
“Your safety is our top priority. By staying informed and exercising caution, we can navigate these hazardous conditions together,” said Washington County Sheriff Joel Cochran.
He stated that early travel on Thursday should be limited to that of essential status.
If forced to operate a vehicle, motorists should exercise extra caution and pay close attention to shaded areas, as these are more prone to holding black ice.
Sheriff Cochran requests that drivers reduce their speed to acquire additional control and time to react in the instance of encountering black ice.
“Remember, posted speed limits are for ideal conditions; adjust your speed accordingly,” said the Sheriff.
He continued to add that one of the most important notes to recall when travels treacherous routes is to avoid sudden movements.
Quick braking, accelerating, or sharp turns will cause a vehicle to skid on black ice.
In the case that you feel your car sliding out of control, motorists are advised to stay calm. Ease off of the accelerator and steer gently in your desired direction.
To assist in all matters, drivers should maintain a greater following distance than normal. Keep additional car lengths between you and the car in front of you to allow for ample time to react if the lead car encounters black ice.
While low temps will continue to drop into the 20’s for the remainder of this week, the daytime high is nearly in the mid-40’s for today.
Friday will also observe a mid-40’s high. Saturday is expected to reach 50 degrees. Sunday may make it into the mid-50’s.
Local officials are hopeful that these conditions will assist in drying up any remaining icey asphalt before another re-freezing opportunity tonight.
Washington County Public Schools and Brentwood School are observing a third consecutive at-home learning module on Thursday. All local schools are expected to return to in-person learning on Friday.
Many businesses and government offices are adhering to a delayed opening today – starting operations around the midday hours.