Icy commute likely in morning in the North Texas area

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TexasStooge
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Icy commute likely in morning in the North Texas area

#1 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Dec 07, 2005 9:00 pm

From The Dallas Morning News Staff Reporters

Dozens of school districts shut down early, hundreds of flights were canceled and dozens of wrecks were reported as a storm bringing snow and sleet worked its way across the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Fano said by late Wednesday afternoon, temperatures had dropped into the low 20s across North Texas - and in many places it feels even colder.

"Behind this cold front we've had some gusty north winds, which have dropped the windchill readings into the single digits," Fano said.

Fano said the low Wednesday night will be around 19, and Thursday's high will only hit 30. By 6 p.m. Wednesday, most of the freezing rain had passed, he said, but scattered sleet and light snow could be expected until around midnight.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was asking passengers to check with their airline or to log on to http://www.dfwairport.com for their flight status. As of mid-afternoon, at least 250 flights were canceled, and the weather event was expected to ground at more than half of the daily departures.

However, spokesman Ken Capps said the airport and all seven runways would remain open, and crews were scheduled to work through the night treating the runways and clearing any ice or snow that might fall.

Many districts and college campuses closed at midday and a number of evening programs and activities were canceled.

Fano said nearly an inch of sleet and snow could accumulate overnight, and he expected driving conditions to remain treacherous through Thursday morning rush hour.

"Because temperatures are going to stay so cold, the roads will remain slick overnight and probably until at least midday tomorrow," he said.

Dallas officials deployed 30 sanding trucks across the city to meet the winter weather predictions. In the morning, street services employees applied anti-freezing products to two Trinity River viaducts - the bridges at Jefferson Street and Houston Street. After noon, they sprinkled sand on a few slippery patches and kept their eyes on the storm radar.

But as of late afternoon, Dallas street officials said they were in great shape. No bridges were freezing. And roads were beginning to dry out after light precipitation Wednesday morning.

"We’re really a bit perplexed and pleased," said Ron Shindoll, a district manager in the Street Services department. "It’s 27 degrees out, and it looks like unless we get another storm moving through, we may survive this pretty well."

However, the slick conditions led to major accidents and gridlocked traffic on a handful of area highways. A wreck involving a burning 18-wheeler closed LBJ Freeway at Interstate 35E in South Dallas, and police shut down westbound LBJ between Houston School and Lancaster roads because of poor conditions, leading to a backup of nearly four miles.

Roads in Fort Worth, Denton and Lewisville were among the most problematic, said Rick Edwards, with the Texas Department of Transportation office in Dallas.

Dispatchers for Cedar Hill and Duncanville reported that elevated portions of Highway 67 were icing over. No serious injuries had resulted, officials said.

Officials in northern and western Dallas County cities reported no major accidents by midday, but said the roads were beginning to get slick.

"I was trying to accelerate slowly and the tires still spun a little bit, and I've got a front-wheel-drive car," Grand Prairie police Detective John Brimmer said. "It is drizzling here. There was sleet mixed in with the drizzle. Dispatch says that there are no major crashes, but a lot of fender benders."

Irving police spokesman David Tull said the city had a “flurry” of minor car accidents Wednesday, mostly near State Highways 183 and 161 and along Interstate 635. None involved serious injuries.

“Basically what we’re seeing is elevated stuff,” he said. “Anything that’s got air passing underneath it you have to watch out for.”

Sleet was falling in a number of suburbs, but it wasn't sticking.

"If we are going to get a lot of snow, we'll put chains of the tires of the squad cars," Carrollton police Sgt. Pat Murphy said. "If it gets too bad, we'll post the officers around the city, rather than just having them drive around between calls. We don't want to be out there sliding around creating problems ourselves."

Arlington officials closed the Interstate 30 exit to northbound Collins Street and northbound Collins at Green Oaks Boulevard because of ice and accidents.

Eric Carter, Arlington’s emergency management coordinator, said street crews were sanding roads and overpasses, fearful that water and slush would freeze as the temperature continues to drop.

A Denton County Sheriff's Department dispatcher said slippery roads in Denton caused three accidents with injuries on Interstate 35 and one on University Drive.

"They are hitting each other, and well, it's everything," dispatcher Yarlin Sanchez said. "It will be a long day."

Fort Worth police Lt. Dean Sullivan said his agency had handled 59 major accidents and 121 minor ones by 2 p.m., including one wreck that damaged a police cruiser. No officers were injured, Sullivan said.

Juan Ortiz, emergency management coordinator for Fort Worth and Tarrant County, said isolated roads and overpasses started to freeze by Wednesday afternoon. But he didn’t expect widespread difficulties until later, particularly in southwest and north Fort Worth. Street department trucks were expected to continue sanding through the night.

To help commuters without cars or who didn't want to brave the roads, DART announced that additional trains were being put into service to maintain 10-minute frequency. Bus services were operating normally.

The wintry mix resulted from an arctic front pushing through with cold, dense air near the earth's surface while an upper-level disturbance rambling from the Rockies was drawing in Pacific moisture.

At D/FW Airport, sanding crews were on standby for runway and roadway duty and 300 cots bought during preparations for Hurricane Katrina were available to be rolled out Wednesday night. The airlines were anticipating that some de-icing would be required, causing delays, Capps said.

In Weatherford, residents started seeing ice and rain around 6:15 a.m., said Patty Allen, who rose early to open her java joint, Coffee Island. Business was a little slow at the downtown coffee shop.

"In a small town like this on holidays and for bad weather the sidewalks roll up and everyone stays home," she said.

At the Dallas Zoo, severe weather is unhealthy for the animals, so they are moved to heated barns or living quarters, said Chuck Siegel, deputy director for animal management.

It makes for a peaceful day because many animals easily entertain themselves, Siegel said.

"When they come indoors they tend to be really relaxed and they will groom each other, play games and do a little bit of chasing," he said. "It's pretty calm."

To ensure the more sophisticated primates don't get bored, zookeepers offer behavioral enrichment toys, like a bamboo twig with caps on the ends that require the animals to figure out how to get to the raisins or nuts hidden inside. The animals are also taught how to assist with their own medical examinations and will present their shoulder for a shot, or show the keeper their teeth, palms and feet for inspection.

But a primate's favorite pastime is playing with an empty cardboard box.

"They love those," Siegel said. "They like to tear those up over a couple of hours."
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#2 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Dec 08, 2005 8:06 am

Winter storm cripples commute

From WFAA ABC 8 Staff Reporters

North Texans woke up Thursday to bitterly cold temperatures and dangerously icy streets in the wake of the season's first winter storm.

But students in Dallas, Fort Worth and many other school districts got a day off after administrators decided to keep classrooms closed because of transportation problems.

Highway crews worked overnight to salt and sand slippery road surfaces, some of which were coated with a layer of glare ice, but there were several major bottlenecks before the Thursday morning rush hour due to weather-related accidents.

A jackknifed trailer shut down southbound Interstate 35E between I-20 and Bear Creek Road in southern Dallas County. A similar wreck closed southbound I-45 at Bear Creek Road in Red Oak.

Streets in Plano were reported mostly clear, but with many dangerous icy spots. News 8 found several locations where home sprinkler systems went off overnight, leaving lawns caked in ice and the runoff glazing the roadway.

The situation may not improve much during the day, said WFAA-TV (Channel 8) meteorologist Greg Fields. "We're not looking at much if any melt, even though we should have plenty of sunshine," he said.

Newspaper carrier Richard Perez surveyed the city streets in Fort Worth early Thursday and declared, "It's not too bad; it's the wind that makes things a little cold."

That was an understatement to many commuters, who walked out the front door to be blasted with temperatures in the upper teens and low 20s and the wind made it feel like the mercury was in the single digits.

The wintry weather made for a long day and night Wednesday for many travelers at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, as airlines canceled hundreds of flights and countless others were delayed because of the icy weather.

The problems here were compounded by bad weather at some East Coast airports that kept flights on the ground in Texas.

D/FW spokesman Ken Capps said many travelers spent the night at the airport due to a shortage of hotel rooms. He said restaurants remained open around the clock and added that airlines were expecting to catch up with the flight backlog by mid-morning Thursday.

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority said full bus service would be provided Thursday on the "T," although commuters were warned that delays are possible.

The Trinity Railway Express added an extra train Wednesday from Union Station in Dallas to Fort Worth for people who didn't want to drive.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit said some bus routes may experience delays or changes as drivers cope with changing road conditions.

Fields said there will be a big improvement in North Texas weather by the weekend, with sunny skies and highs in the 60s.

WFAA-TV reporters Steve Stoler in Plano, Rebecca Rodriguez in Fort Worth and Cynthia Vega in Hutchins and WFAA.com editor Walt Zwirko in Little Elm contributed to this report.
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#3 Postby JenyEliza » Thu Dec 08, 2005 8:22 am

Road Conditions, Delays and Closings
Updated: 6:57 AM Dec 8, 2005
KBTX Staff



Numerous minor accidents reported in and around the Brazos Valley

Travel with extreme caution

I45 through Madison Co near Madisonville closed; box truck overturned

Grimes Co road conditions: FM 244 between SH 90 and FM 39; Both overpasses at Rocky Creek Bridge and Bull Creek Bridge are iced over

FM 1696 between FM 39 and SH 90; North Bedias Creek Bridge iced over

SH 30 between FM 244 and Brazos Co line; Navasota River Bridge and overpass just west of Carlos iced over

Leon Co road conditions: FM 39 from Limestone to Madison Co line; ice on bridges and overpasses

FM 977 between FM 39 and SH 75; ice on bridges and overpasses

I45 from Freestone Co line to SH 7; ice on bridges and overpasses

I45 from SH 7 to Madison Co line; ice on bridges and overpasses

SH 7 from Robertson Co line to SH 75; ice on bridges; overpasses and roadway

US 79 from Robertson Co line to Freestone Co line; ice on bridges and overpasses

Madison Co road conditions: I45 from OSR to 67; ice on overpasses

Milam Co road conditions: TxDot reports ice on every major road and bridge

Robertson Co road conditions: FM 485 from Milam Co line Brazos River to Hearne city limits; ice on bridges

FM 979 from Milam Co line Brazos River to Calvert city limits; ice on bridges

SH 6 from Falls Co line to Brazos Co line; ice on bridges

US 79 from Milam Co line Brazos River to Leon Co line Navasota River; ice on bridges

US 190 from Hearne city limits to Brazos Co line; ice on bridges

Walker Co road conditions; ice on some bridges

Washington Co road conditions; SH 105 from Brazos Co line to Brenham; ice on bridges

SH 105 from Brazos Co line to Cols Creek; ice on Brazos River Bridge

US 290 from Fayette Co line to Waller Co line; ice on bridges

Temperatures will be slow to rise from morning lows in the mid 20's to daytime highs in the mid 30's

Expect sub-freezing temperatures and cloudy skies throughout the entire morning

Temperature will briefly rise above the freezing mark in the mid afternoon, then it will be back below freezing by sunset

Expect a hard freeze tonight, with morning lows near 20 and sub-freezing temperatures through 9am Friday
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#4 Postby TexasStooge » Thu Dec 08, 2005 12:39 pm

Icy roads create chaos in North Texas

From WFAA ABC 8 Staff Reporters

Icy roads and the bitter cold are creating chaos across North Texas in the wake of the season's first winter storm.

Students in Dallas, Fort Worth and many other school districts got a day off after administrators decided to keep classrooms closed because of transportation problems.

Repairs are underway on downed power lines in Kaufman County which caused more than 5,000 homes in the communities of Crandall and Combine to black out. A Combine resident told News 8 the power had been off since 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

An 18-wheeler wreck burst into flames on the I-20 at Bonnieview in Southern Dallas at about 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, blocking the whole eastbound highway. The vehicle had reportedly crashed into a news organization's truck. The crew of the truck was absent at the time, but the driver of the 18-wheeler has been taken to hospital.

Outbound flights at D/FW International Airport are mostly on time but many inbound flights are delayed, as a result of bad weather elsewhere in the country.

"We brought out some cots last night. We'd bought the cots for the Hurricane Katrina but they really paid off last night. Outbound flights are now great," DFW spokesman Ken Capps said.

DART bus and train services are running as usual but some HOV lanes have not opened.

Highway crews worked overnight to salt and sand slippery road surfaces, some of which were coated with a layer of glare ice, but there were several major bottlenecks before the Thursday morning rush hour due to weather-related accidents.

Fort Worth police said they received 2,145 accident reports between 4 a.m. Wednesday and 6 a.m. Thursday. There were no fatalities, but 90 people were injured in the wrecks.

A jackknifed trailer shut down southbound Interstate 35E between I-20 and Bear Creek Road in southern Dallas County. A similar wreck closed southbound I-45 at Bear Creek Road in Red Oak.

Streets in Plano were reported mostly clear, but with many dangerous icy spots. News 8 found several locations where home sprinkler systems went off overnight, leaving lawns caked in ice and the runoff glazing the roadway.

The situation may not improve much during the day, said WFAA-TV (Channel 8) meteorologist Greg Fields. "We're not looking at much if any melt, even though we should have plenty of sunshine," he said.

Newspaper carrier Richard Perez surveyed the city streets in Fort Worth early Thursday and declared, "It's not too bad; it's the wind that makes things a little cold."

That was an understatement to many commuters, who walked out the front door to be blasted with temperatures in the upper teens and low 20s and the wind made it feel like the mercury was in the single digits.

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority said full bus service would be provided Thursday on the "T," although commuters were warned that delays are possible.

The Trinity Railway Express added an extra train Wednesday from Union Station in Dallas to Fort Worth for people who didn't want to drive.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit said some bus routes may experience delays or changes as drivers cope with changing road conditions.

Fields said there will be a big improvement in North Texas weather by the weekend, with sunny skies and highs in the 60s.

WFAA-TV reporters Steve Stoler in Plano, Rebecca Rodriguez in Fort Worth and Cynthia Vega in Hutchins and WFAA.com editor Walt Zwirko in Little Elm contributed to this report.
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