ice Archives - Oak Ridge Today

Hazardous driving conditions remain in Anderson County

Posted at 9:53 am January 17, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

A view of snow-covered Dutch Valley from Waldens Ridge in Anderson County on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018. (Photo by Anderson County Sheriff’s Department)

Note: This story was updated at 11:05 p.m.

Update: State routes were mostly clear Wednesday afternoon, but secondary roads still had snow and ice in spots, especially where they are shaded. Some roads remained entirely snow-covered. Areas that melted in the sun Wednesday were expected to refreeze overnight as the temperatures will once again be in the single digits. Motorists should continue to use caution.

Three traffic crashes had been reported as of 4 p.m., and deputies planned to continue patrolling and answering calls in four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Hazardous driving conditions remained in Anderson County on Wednesday morning, with some state routes still having snow and ice.

Secondary roads are mostly snow-covered, with ice in places, said Mark Lucas, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department chief deputy.

“Bitter cold temperatures overnight resulted in many roads freezing over and becoming dangerous,” Lucas said. “Motorists should use extreme caution if travel is necessary.”

Three traffic crashes were reported Tuesday, but none have been reported so far Wednesday morning, Lucas said. [Read more…]

Road conditions still bad, police say; Y-12 closed

Posted at 8:55 am January 17, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

An Oak Ridge Public Works Department snow truck is pictured on South Illinois Avenue on Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 16, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was last updated at 11:15 p.m.

Update: Driving conditions on main roads and side streets in Oak Ridge seemed to have improved by about 5 p.m. Wednesday, although there were still patches of ice and snow, including in shopping center parking lots.

Wednesday evening, the Oak Ridge Police Department said conditions had improved on main roads, but side streets were still extremely slick. Drivers should use extra caution if they have to get out tonight. There could be some refreezing on the roads overnight with the low temperatures. Oak Ridge Schools will be closed again on Thursday, January 18, due to the conditions.

A few inches of snow fell Tuesday, and road conditions are still bad Wednesday morning, especially in the city’s neighborhoods, the Oak Ridge Police Department said. The Y-12 National Security Complex and the Uranium Processing Facility offices are closed.

Oak Ridge Public Works Department crews are out clearing and treating the roads.

“If you must go out, please use extreme caution,” the ORPD said.

Y-12 said normal operations will resume Thursday, January 18. [Read more…]

Roads slippery, snow-covered; schools, Key Springs closed

Posted at 9:09 pm January 16, 2018
By John Huotari 2 Comments

Streets in Oak Ridge, including main roads, were snow-covered and slippery Tuesday evening, Jan. 16, 2018, and schools announced they would be closed again on Wednesday. Above, the Oak Ridge Police Department responds to a crash on South Illinois Avenue near Centrifuge Way on Tuesday afternoon. (Photo courtesy ORPD/City of Oak Ridge)

Streets in Oak Ridge, including main roads, were snow-covered and slippery Tuesday evening, and schools announced they would be closed again on Wednesday. Key Springs Road—a steep, curvy road that goes down Black Oak Ridge from north Oak Ridge to Marlow—was closed.

The Oak Ridge Police Department advised residents to stay home if they don’t have to be on the roads tonight.

“All roads are snow-covered,” the ORPD said Tuesday evening. “(Oak Ridge) Public Works crews are working to clear and treat roads.”

Even heavily traveled main roads such as Illinois Avenue and Oak Ridge Turnpike were snow-covered and slippery Tuesday evening. Side streets were as well.

The snow, which had started at about 1 p.m. Tuesday, continued past 7 p.m. The forecast had called for a few inches. [Read more…]

Updated: Oak Ridge government, schools delayed; Anderson County Schools closed

Posted at 7:53 pm January 7, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Light ice accumulations are possible late tonight and into Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. The main problems are expected to be patches of ice on roads. During the day Monday, temperatures will warm, and the precipitation should eventually turn to all rain. (Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown)

Note: This story was last updated at 8:45 p.m.

Light icing and freezing rain are possible tonight (Sunday, January 7), and Oak Ridge government offices will open two hours late on Monday, Oak Ridge Schools will start two hours late, and Anderson County Schools will be closed.

Oak Ridge Schools said the two-hour delay is weather-related.

Anderson County Schools Director Tim Parrott said the county school closure is due to the predicted forecast of ice and the safety of students and staff. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools on two-hour delay Monday

Posted at 9:20 pm February 14, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Schools will be on a two-hour delay on Monday, February 15, officials said.

Snow and treacherous roads were reported in parts of East Tennessee on Sunday. Oak Ridge had a light dusting of snow, but there are reports of a potential for ice in East Tennessee on Monday morning.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Clark Center Park temporarily closed as DOE assesses weather-related damage

Posted at 2:29 pm March 9, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

A view of Melton Hill Lake near a boat ramp and between two picnic areas at Clark Center Park in south Oak Ridge.

Clark Center Park in south Oak Ridge is temporarily closed while federal officials assess any damage to trees caused by the recent ice and snow, and to give workers time to remove any potential risks, such as trees that are ready to fall.

The park, normally open all year, could be closed for another week or so, depending upon the weather, said John Shewairy, assistant manager for administration in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office.

“We have limited access to the park so we can assess and tend to any damage to trees caused by the ice and snow of the past couple weeks,” Shewairy said Monday. “Once we have taken care of any potential safety concerns, we’ll restore access to the property.” [Read more…]

Oliver Springs, other state tournament games postponed

Posted at 10:08 am March 5, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Ice covered about two inches of snow in Murfreesboro on Thursday morning, and the Oliver Springs Lady Bobcats state quarterfinal game has been postponed to Friday morning. (Photo courtesy RoaneSports.com)

The Oliver Springs Lady Bobcats had been scheduled to play in a state quarterfinal game in Mufreesboro this morning (Thursday morning), but that game has been postponed to Friday morning.

All other TSSAA state basketball tournament games scheduled for today have also been postponed due to extremely hazardous road conditions. The Thursday schedule will resume at 11 a.m. Central time Friday (12 p.m. Eastern) in order to allow extra time for road conditions to improve in the morning.

Friday’s scheduled semifinal games will be played on Saturday beginning at 1:30 p.m. Central due to the Middle Tennessee State University’s women’s basketball game that is scheduled at 10 a.m. Saturday’s scheduled championship games will be played on Sunday. [Read more…]

No one injured, but three briefly trapped by factory roof collapse

Posted at 10:14 pm February 21, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The factory roof at Pharma Packaging in Andersonville collapsed on Saturday night. Three workers were briefly trapped, but no one was injured.

Note: This story was last updated at 10:47 p.m.

ANDERSONVILLE—No one was injured, but three workers were briefly trapped when a roof collapsed at a factory in Andersonville on Saturday, possibly because of ice and snow buildup, authorities said.

The roof collapse was reported at about 7:40 p.m. Saturday. Seven people were inside the Carton Service/Pharma Packaging building on First Quality Drive at the time, said Del Kennedy, chief of the Andersonville Volunteer Fire Department.

Four workers were able to make it out, and firefighters had to help the other three escape from a break room, near the front of the building, at the edge of the factory space behind it. All the workers were in or near the break room at the time of the collapse, Kennedy said.

He estimated that 50 percent of the roof, which was about 40 feet above the factory floor, had collapsed over that portion of the building. There was only a small crew working at the time, Kennedy said. [Read more…]

TVA sets all-time power demand record; stores sell out of heaters

Posted at 12:03 pm February 19, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Downtown Hardware crew is pictured above in November 2013. Co-owners Ann Clary Bratton and Roger Clary are pictured second from right and at left. (File photo)

The Tennessee Valley Authority set an all-time record for power demand in February on Thursday morning, and local stores have sold out of heaters.

TVA said the record set at 7 a.m. Thursday was 32,109 megawatts, with an average temperature of 7 degrees Fahrenheit.

Downtown Hardware in Oak Ridge reported that they were down to two electric heaters.

“We’re completely sold out of kerosene and propane,” said Ann Bratton, who co-owns the store with her brother Roger Clary. “That seems to be what people are asking for.” [Read more…]

Use caution: Main roads mostly clear, but side streets slippery

Posted at 12:11 pm February 18, 2015
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Even well-traveled side streets such as Tennessee Avenue were a mix of cleared sections, snow, and ice as snow fell in Oak Ridge on Wednesday morning.

Note: This story was last updated at 4:08 p.m.

Main roads were mostly clear Wednesday morning, but many side streets were slippery and treacherous for driving or walking.

The wintry mix that fell Monday and lingered Tuesday appeared to have frozen in many places. And the snow that fell Wednesday morning covered that slick mix and dusted some roads that had earlier been cleared, such as Michigan Avenue in central Oak Ridge.

Milan Way, which runs parallel to Oak Ridge Turnpike in front of the Jackson Square post office, was skating-rink slick. And that was true of many other side streets across the city.

Heavily-traveled roads like Illinois Avenue, Emory Valley Road, and Oak Ridge Turnpike were mostly clear and easy to drive on. But even some well-traveled secondary streets such as Tennessee and Manhattan avenues, Robertsville Road, and West Outer Drive were a mix of cleared areas, light snow, and ice. [Read more…]

Power outages affect several hundred; two cars crash into snow plows

Posted at 1:40 pm February 17, 2015
By John Huotari 2 Comments

Lafayette Drive is pictured above on Tuesday morning at the intersection with Laboratory Road in central Oak Ridge. (Photos by Daniel Powers)

Several hundred customers were affected by power outages overnight but most lost power for less than an hour, and two cars crashed into city snow plows, making one of the plows unusable for now, officials said.

There were no reports of injuries in the few minor crashes that occurred overnight.

Officials continued to urge drivers to stay off roads unless absolutely necessary. Some of them remain covered in ice, and vehicles that are required to travel, such as postal vehicles and Oak Ridge Public Works trucks, are using chains or studded tires.

Oak Ridge Electric Director Jack Suggs said the largest power outage was in an area around Montana Avenue and West Outer Drive at about 6 p.m. Monday. It affected about 440 people, but only lasted about 45 minutes, according to preliminary information, Suggs said. [Read more…]

Travel still discouraged; no serious accidents reported in Anderson

Posted at 11:50 am February 17, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 2 Comments

Roads remained ice-covered in Oak Ridge on Tuesday, and there was little traffic as officials urged people to not drive unless absolutely necessary. Here is a picture taken Monday of State Route 62, also known as North Illinois Avenue or East Tri County Boulevard, headed into Oliver Springs from Oak Ridge. (Photo by Marilyn Cook-Wynn)

Information from WYSH Radio

With ice on the roadways and temperatures not expected to get above freezing for the next couple of days, travel is still not advised.

Last night across Anderson County, no serious accidents were reported, and officials said that was due in part to people heeding their warnings to stay off the roads.

But some people may have no choice but to drive somewhere today. For those people, Clinton Police Rick Scarbrough had this piece of advice: “Drive with caution. Don’t get overconfident because just around the corner could be a solid sheet of ice. If you do have to be out, we understand, but try to avoid getting out if at all possible.” [Read more…]