Road conditions in North Texas to ‘worsen’ Tuesday morning; black ice is likely

Some ice-over roads in North Texas turned to slush Monday afternoon, but conditions Texas are expected to worsen overnight as temperatures drop below freezing again, increasing the risk of black ice, according to the National Weather Service Fort Worth.

“Black ice is very hard to see. It’s often clear ice, so you can’t really see anything on the road — it just looks like a normal road. It’s usually prevalent during the early morning hours, which makes it dangerous because drivers can’t see where the ice is,” Allison Prater, meteorologist for the National Weather Service, told Star-Telegram Monday afternoon.

Temperatures for Tuesday morning are expected to be in the teens with wind chills between zero and 10 degrees, Parter said.

There is a potential for freezing fog in North and Central Texas for Tuesday and Wednesday morning, according to NWS.

Freezing fog causes reduced visibility and light ice deposits on surfaces and roads which can make travel “a little bit more treacherous,” Parter said.

Later Tuesday, however, , temperatures will warm into the upper 30s to low 40s, but overnight temperatures will again drop below freezing, allowing any melted moisture on roads to refreeze during the overnight and morning hours.

“We’re still going to have lingering impacts on the roads through much of the rest of the week,” she said. “Make sure to drive slowly and carefully.”

North Texas is expected to be done with freezing precipitation, with the “extreme” cold lasting tonight into Tuesday before afternoon temperatures begin to warm, she said.

Another cold front late Thursday and Friday will bring temperatures near freezing Saturday afternoon, with morning lows in the teens to low 20s Saturday and Sunday. The weekend is expected to be dry but very cold, Parter said.

Crews continue to work “around the clock” on state-maintained roadways to keep conditions as safe and as “passable” as possible, a Texas Department of Transportation spokesperson told Star-Telegram.

People who can stay home are urged to avoid traveling tonight and through the day Tuesday according to TxDOT.

Residents who must travel are recommended to check road conditions on Drivetexas.org before driving.

“We also ask that they slow down, drive to conditions, and leave extra space between other vehicles, especially TxDOT crews and convoys who are still working to keep motorists safe,” the spokesperson said.