HomeMy WebLinkAboutIce StormArea sees more ice, few
Eagle photos,
College Station police hold up traffic on Holleman Drive as workers clear a pology major Ross Mohr, 18, scrapes a thick sheet of ' ice off
fallen tree from the street Wednesday. Below: Texas A &M freshman anthro- of his truck in, a parking lot on the A &M campus '
Icy roads have been reported across 'the
Brazos Valley.
Periods of rain, freezing rain and sleet
are expected to continue through Thursday,
according to the National Weather Service.
Some glazing of trees, bridges, overpasses and
power lines is expected.
Go to www.txdot.gov for road conditions or
call 1- 800 - 452 - 9292`
Following are, roads` that the Texas Depart -
mentof Transportation are asking motorists to I
watch around the Brazos Valley:, -
Brazos County
■ Ice on Texas 6 bridges and overpasses
only from Roberts on County line to Grimes
County line
' ■ Ice on Texas 21 bridges and overpasses
only from Burleson County" line,: to Madison
County line
■ Ice on Texas 30 bridges andoverpasses
only from Texas Avenue to Walker County lire
■ice on Texas 47 bridges and overpasses
only from F.M. 60 to Texas 21
' ■ Ice on F.M. 60 bridges and overpasses
only from Burleson County line to Grimes Coun -
ty line ,
I Ice on F.M. 2818 bridges and overpasses
only from - Texas 6 to US 190 '
Burleson County '
■ Ice .on F.M. 50 bridges, and overpasses
only from Texas 21 to Washington County line
• Ice on F.M. 2 bridges and :overpasses
only for F.M. 362 to end of pavement
■ Ice on F.M. 39 bridges and overpasses
from Texas 90 to Madison County line
■ Ice' on F.M. 149 bridges and ;overpasses
from Texas 90 to Montgomery County line
■ Ice on F.M. 244 bridges and overpasses
from Texas 90 to Iola
' ■ Ice on F.M. 362,bridges 'and overpaeses
from Texas 105 to Waller County line -
■ Ice on F.M. 379 bridges and overpasses
from Business 6 in Navasota to' Texas 105
■ Ice on F.M. 1227 bridges and overpasses
from Texas 6 to F.M. 379
■ iceon FM; 1748 bridges and, overpasses
from Texas 105 to end of pavement
■ Ice on F.M. 60 bridges and overpasses
only from Texas 36 to Brazos ,County line
• Ice on F.M. 696 bridges and overpasses
only from Texas 21 to Lee County line
■ Ice on F.M. 1361 bridges and overpasses
only from County Road. 431 to County Road
433.
■ Ice on; F.M. 1362 bridges and;overpasses
only from F.M. 2000 to Texas 21 -
■ Ice on F.M. 2155 bridges and'overpasses
only from F.M. 60 to F.M. 1361
■ Ice on F.M. 2000 bridges andloverpasses
only from Texas 21 to F.M.1361
■ Ice on Texas 21 bridges and overpasses
only from Lee,County line to Brazos County line,
■ Ice on Texas 36 bridges and overpasses
only from Milam County line to Washington
County line
Grimes County
■ Ice on Business 6 bridges'and overpass,
es only from Navasota to Texas 6 Interchange
lice on F.M.' 149 bridges and: overpasses
only from F.M. 2562 to Montgomery County
line
• • Ice on F.M. 244 bridges and ;overpasses
only from Texas 30 to Iola
■ Ice on F.M. 1486 bridges and overpasses'
only from Montogomery to Texas 30
■ Ice on F.M.1696 bridges and overpasses
only from F.M. 39 to Bedias
IN lee on F.M. 1774 bridges and overpasses
only from Anderson to Texas 105
■ Ice on F.M.2445 bridges and overpasses
,Only from F.M. 1774 to Texas 105,
lice on F.M. 2562 bridges and' overpasses,
only from F.M. 2819 to Texas 30
■ Ice on F.M. 2819 bridges and: overpasses
only from Anderson to F.M. 1486
lice on'F.M.2620 bridges and overpasses
only from Bedias to Texas 30 '
• Ice on F.M. 2988 bridges and. overpasses
only from Texas- 6 to F.M. 362 -
■Ice on F.M. 3090 bridges and overpasses
Only from, F.M.149 to F.M. 244
■ Ice on Texas 6 bridges" and overpasses
only from Navasota River to the Waller County
line
■ Ice on Texas 30 bridges and overpasses
only from Brazos County to; Walker County line
• Ice on Texas 90 bridges and' overpasses'
only from,Texas 30 to Madison County line
L .
■ Texas 105 bridges and overpasses only
from Washington - County line to Montogomery
■ ice' on F.M. 487 bridges and overpasses
only from US 77 to Bell County line
® lee on F.M.' 908 bridges and overpasses
only from F.M. 486 to Burleson_County line, ,
■ Ice on F.M. 979 bridges and overpasses
only from,F.M. 485 to Robertson County line'
■ Ice on F.M. 1444 brid ges and overpass
esionly from US 77 to F.M. 1445
''■ Ice on F.M..1455 bridges and overpasses
only from Falls County line to F.M. 1444
I ■ Ice on F.M. 1600 bridges and overpasses
only from US 190 to F.M. 487
!lee on F.M. 1915 bridges and overpasses
• only from; F.M. 437 to'F. M. 485
in Ice o n F.M.;.2027 bridges and. overpasses
only Om 'Falls County. line to F.M. 979
■ Ice on F.M. 2095 bridges andoverpasses
only from'US 77 to US 79
■
lee on F.M..2269 bridges and overpasses
only from ' 190 to F.M. 485
■ Ice on F.M. 3061 bridges and overpasses
-only from F.M. 487 to F.M. 486
• Ice on F.M. 3242 bridges and overpasses
only from;F.M. 2095 to US 79 -
'® Ice on Texas 36 bridges and overpasses
only from'US 79 ICI Burleson County line
N fce on US ,77.bridges and - overpasses
only fromLee County line to Falls County line
I'fe "on US' 79 bridges and overpasses
only from 'Robertson County line to Willamson
County {line
' ■'Ice on US, 190 bridges: and, overpasses
only from US 79 to Bell County line
:'Robertson County
® Ice on FM. 46 bridges and overpasses
only from Brazos County line to Falls County
line
■ Ice on F.M. 485 bridges and overpasses
only from Milam County line to US 79
■ Ice on F.M: 391 bridges and overpasses
only in'-learne
■ Ice on F.M. 979 bridges and overpasses,
only from Milam County line to Texas?
• Ice on F.M. 1644 bridges and. overpasses
onl from US 79 to Franklin
' ■ Ice on F.M. 2096 bridges and overpasses'
only from ;US 79 in. Easterly to F.M. 979
■ Ice on F.M. 2293 bridges and overpasses
only from Bremond to F.M. 979
■ Ice on F.M. 2446 bridges and overpasses
only from F.M. I 46 in Franklin to F.M. 1,940
■ Ice bn Texas 6 bridges and overpasses
only from Falls County line to Brazos County
line
IN Ice on Texas 7 bridges and overpasses
only from' Limestone County line to Leon Coun-
ty line
■ ice on US 79 bridges and 'overpasses
only from Milam'Countyline to Leon County line
1110 on..US 190 bridges and overpassee
only from Hearne,City Limits to Old San Antonio
Road
Washington County
Y Ice on F.M. 389 bridges and overpasses
only from 'Austin County line, to Business 36
■ Ice on F.M. 109 bridges and overpasses
only from Texas 36 to Austin County line-
n Ice on F.M. 332 bridges and overpasses
only from F.M. ! 389 to F.M. 2505
Ice on. F.M. 390 bridges and overpasses,
only froln F.M. 50 to F.M. 1935
A
lee' F.M. 577' bridges`and'overpasses
only from US 290 to Texas 105
■ Ice on F.M. 1155 bridges and overpasses
only from F.M. 2726 to 2193
lice on F.M. 1697 bridges and overpasses
only from F.M. 2780 to F.M. 390
I Ice on FM. 1948 bridges and overpasses
only from Texas 36 to US `290
I■ Ice on F.M. 2621 bridges and overpasses
only from F.M. 50 to F.M. 390
® Ice on F.M. 2726 bridges and overpasses
only from US 290 to F.M. 390
® Ice on F.M. 2780 bridges and overpasses
only from F.M. 1697 to F.M. 1697
lee on Texas 36 bridges and overpasses
only from Burleson County line to Austin Coun -'
tyline
•ice on Texas 105 bridges and overpasses
only from Business'290 to Brazos County line
■ Ice on US 290 bridges and overpasses
only from Fayette County line.to"Waller County
line,
From Al
Tuesday.
"We don't anticipate a big
increase in numbers [Wednes-
day night]," Scheets said.
Statistics were similar
throughout the Brazos Valley,
with law enforcement officials
and dispatchers reporting
mostly minor accidents and
assists.
"I think it's over With,"
Grimes County Sheriff Don
Sowell said Wednesday after-
noon. "Everything's melting,
and now it's going to be slushy
and mushy."
He described his office
Wednesday as "pretty quiet,"
with only "a couple slide jobs"
to respond to. But there have
been a few weather- related
calls, he said, including a
woman who reported seeing
icicles hanging off a horse's
coat. Sowell said he declined to
send a deputy to the pasture
with an extension cord and
blow dryer.
According to the National
Weather Service, the Brazos
Valley has a 40 percent chance
- of light freezing rain and sleet
after midnight Wednesday.
The temperature is expected
to hover "close to freezing,
give or take 1 degree," meteor-
ologist Robert Van Hoven said.
The chances for freezing
rain and sleet will decrease to
20 percent by Thursday morn-
ing.
"After that, you should be in
the clear," he said, noting that
there may be a slight chance of
rain through the day Thurs-
day but temperatures should
remain above freezing.
In Bryan, Transportation
Operations Manager Chris
Crawford said he is banking
on the weather improving
overnight and into Thursday.
Unless the forecast changes, he
said Wednesday afternoon, he
plans to have one crew on
standby.
That's a big difference from
the last two evenings, when
Late starts at area schools:
Calvert will start at 10 a.m.
Franklin will start at 10 a.m.
Hearne will start at 10 a.m.
Snook will start at 10 a.m.
Madisonville will start two
hours late.
Burton will start at 10 a.m'.
Caldwell will start Itwo hours
late.
Navasota will start at 9 a.m.
Somerville will start at 10
a.m.
Garbage and recycling col-
lections
- ■ College Station recycling
collections will begin collecting
Thursday per the regular sched-
ule. Monday's routes were not
collected due to the holiday.
Tuesday and Wednesday recy-
cling routes were not
Bryan postal worker Milton Stocl
snowman outside the entrance to th
the entire department was on u
standby and employees were s
being asked to work around IA
the clock — taking only short lv
breaks of a few hours to catch d
some sleep. tc
"We're in pretty good IA
shape," he said. "We've put out
so much sand that with no d
additional rain, we're hoping p
there won't be a need for more. c
"It's going to be some well - a
deserved rest. You can just see vi
it in their faces — they're pret- tl
ty beat down."
College Station Public tc
Works Director Mark Smith cl
said he, too, did not expect as sl
much work Wednesday night o
and. Thursday morning. How- si
ever, a sand truck will contin-
ue to be on call, he said, plat- a
ing special emphasis on fire
stations, other emergency
responder buildings and major
intersections.
Workers were using the
above- freezing temperatures
Wednesday afternoon to catch
due to the weather No makeup
is scheduled.
I■ 'College. Station garbage
collections will continue to oper-
ate one day later than regularly
scheduled due to the Martin
Luther King holiday.
Waste collection in Nava-
sota has been disrupted due to
inclement weather. Normal
trash collection is expected to
resume Thursday. Residential
trash normally collected on
Mondays and Thursdays will be
collected on Thursday and trash
normally collected on Tuesdays
and Fridays will be collected Fri-
day. Commercial collection will
resume as weather permits. For
more information, call 936 -825-
6450.
Staff reports
Openings and delayed starts
r • Texas A &M University will
open at 8 a. n.
® Blinn College will start on time.
■ Texas A&M Health Science
Center will delay all; classes for
the College Station and Temple I
campuses urtil 9 a.m. Thursday.
■,Bryan sc - lools; Will start two
:hours late.
■ College Station schools will
start two hours late,
Inside
I Cold weather hits Texas, A6
• More. closings, A8
II More weather, coverage; A8
III Schools discuss:decision to
;cancel schoo , A9
Scrapers
mistake, is to pour hot water
on 'your windshield, experts.
said.
"Pouring warm water on it
is probably the 'worst thing
you 'could do, "_ said Bill Mills,
director, of auto glass service
at ACME. Glass in Bryan.
The dramati& change of
temperature .caused by hot
water, on frozen glass could
crack;, the windshield and
will; enlarge any existing
cracks, he said. -
"Most of the,', time, they
already have a. 'chip An their
windshield that they are not
aware of, and It just splits;
when ,you pour, the water on
it, Mills said.
Both ' ACME Glass and
Texstar'; Auto Body and Glass
already have customers with
windshield cracks from pour-
ing hot water on j them.
Ano,'tler common problem
is people trying to roll their
windows down with a layer
of ice on them, Safi said. The
ice layer can prevent the
window from lowering' and
break .tile window's motor.
"That, is a no -no," he said.
Safi said drivers should
not run their wipers until the
ice has melted 1 to prevent
damage` to the wiper blades
or the mechanism. It is best,
he said,': to turn the wipers off
when 'turning' off your car so
they do not start up when the
car is turned on in the morn-
ing.
Using the car's defroster,
and ,a bit of patience, to melt
the ice can be the safest strat-
egy, Safi said. He also recom-
mended putting cardboard
on the windshield at night to
keep the ice off and save
some time in the morning.
Another - solution involves
rubbing an onion on the
windshield the night before
the freeze. The onion juice is .
believed to prevent ice from
forming on the window.
Mills' advises drivers to
pour tap water on the wind-
shield.
"The tap water coming out
People get
creative to
get rid of ice
By MATTHEW WATKINS
Eagle Staff Writer
The dozens of students scraping ice
off their cars and windshields
Wednesday afternoon in the Texas -
A&M parking lot employed, a variety
of ice - removal techniques.
Some used credit cards.
A few used their hands.
A group of freshmen used the rims
of empty water bottles; to knock the .
ice off.
"We don't really have ' anything
else," one of the students said.
Others simply sat in their cars and
ran their windshield wipers and
heater until the windshield was clear.
The students' problems have been
replicated all over the Brazos Valley
in the past few days. Ice scrapers have
been sold out of stores across Bryan
College Station as people scramble to
deal with the frigid weather.
Those without scrapers have been
forced to find other techniques . to
clear their windshields, including
pouring hot water on the glass.
"People in the South are just_ not
very well- equipped to handle this
kind of weather," said I
recently moved to Tex
more wintry Iowa.
Safi, who works at 7
Body and Glass' in Col
said some techniques for
ice can be harmful. The n
See SCRAPE