Ice coats a car in Oak Ridge on Friday. The National Weather Service in Morristown said there could be a total of 1/4 to 1/2 inch of ice in areas subjected to several hours of freezing rain.
Oak Ridge municipal offices were originally scheduled to open at noon today, but they will remain closed all day, a city official said.
City workers urged residents to avoid driving, or even walking outside, if possible. A sheet of ice has coated many homes, driveways, and sidewalks.
With government offices, schools, and many businesses closed or opening late, some roads appeared deserted. Oak Ridge Police Department Lt. Robin Smith said a few vehicles have slid off roads, but not much else has happened.
“It’s been very quiet, which is the way we like it,” Smith said. “It’s been good so far.”
Image courtesy of the National Weather Service in Morristown.
Oak Ridge Public Works Director Gary Cinder said the city spent about 12 hours Thursday treating about 100 miles of streets. Workers used two trucks to spread a brine solution, a “super salty” liquid.
“Every road we pre-treated with brine is in really good shape,” Cinder said. “It’s wet. It’s passable.”
The trucks started by treating roads around Methodist Medical Center and then worked on main roads, such as Oak Ridge Turnpike and Illinois Avenue. Then, they spread the brine on secondary roads such as Tennessee Avenue.
Still, Cinder advised residents to avoid traveling if possible, and he said cul-de-sacs and lanes could be slick because the brine trucks can’t always spread the liquid there.
“Those are icy and slippery, and they’re going to stay that way,” Cinder said.
An ice-covered bush in Oak Ridge on Friday.
Oak Ridge Electric Director Jack Suggs said there have been a few minor problems, but no major outages.
City work crews prepared for the storm, and now officials hope the rain stops or the temperature increases.
“We’re holding our breath, looking at bushes loading up with ice,” Suggs said.
A winter storm that started Thursday night and could continue through 7 p.m. today could blanket the region in up to 1/2 inch of ice, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown. The storm could dump moderate to heavy freezing rain, create hazardous travel conditions, and pull down trees and power lines.
Cinder said Oak Ridge has trucks spreading rock salt on roads today as the brine from Thursday dissolves.
City officials said Waste Connections will not pick up trash or recycling in Oak Ridge today (Friday). Instead, the Friday routes will be run on Saturday.
The city has posted its winter weather plan on its website. For more information, visit http://www.oakridgetn.gov/content.aspx?article=2574.
For more information on other area closings, see local news on WYSH Radio in Clinton:Â http://www.wyshradio.com/local_news.html.
Ellen Smith says
I was pleased to see how effective the brine solution was in preventing streets from icing.
John Huotari says
They were able to spread the brine Thursday because it was dry. Apparently the city wasn’t able to use it the last time it snowed because it had been raining.