Hundreds of crashes were reported Sunday as a winter storm hit the state. Although the winter storm is over Monday, many roads across central North Carolina remain covered in ice, and more crashes are likely.
Some standing water could refreeze on the road overnight
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While most of the ice and sleet melted away Monday afternoon, there will still be a chance for more water to refreeze overnight.
Lows overnight are expected to be in the teens for most and the National Weather Service issued a cold weather advisory due to the bitterly cold temperatures.
Many highways clear, secondary roads still icy
Many major routes, like Interstate 40, are mostly clear in the Triangle.
Conditions on secondary roads vary greatly. Conditions were wet and slushy along the side of the street around 12 p.m. on Poole Road in Raleigh, a WRAL News crew discovered. Heavily-traveled Western Boulveard was clear.
"The focus is to move on to those primary roads and then the secondary roads today," said NCDOT spokesperson Kim Deaner. "We are bringing in more help from the eastern part of the state."
Deaner added that crews would work on subdivision roads on Tuesday and neighbors keeping their cars in the driveway will help clear the roads.
However, WRAL traffic cameras show medians, ramps and bridges still covered in ice. Sgt. Christopher Knox with the State Highway Patrol said drivers can get in trouble when they travel from a cleared road onto a ice-covered road and end up slipping, especially if they don't reduce speed.
"The primary routes are getting pretty good, but those secondary roads are still primarily covered," Knox said. "Maintain your guard this morning, continue to watch for those slick spots and expect for there to still be problem areas."
Many people stayed home this weekend when the ice storm hit.
"We really were fortunate with the timing of this storm," Knox said. However, Knox said most crashes in a storm occur near the beginning or end because people get a false sense of security.
Knox said the agency was well-staffed during the ice storm.
"A storm like this really impacted the whole state ... but we really did good making it through this," Knox said.
Traffic cams on Monday showed drivers traveling slowly on Triangle interstates -- as they should. The roads were far emptier than a normal Monday morning.
More melting will need to occur before roads are clear, and many roads will be stay slick for the next day or two.
Plows are out and about working to clear major and secondary roads. Still, road conditions are widely varied, and WRAL meteorologists recommend staying home if possible until the sun can come out and help with melting. Side streets and elevated surfaces may not be safe for travel.
Roads could turn slushy as temperatures rise
We're expecting some melting throughout the day on Monday as temperatures rise above freezing, and especially when the sun comes out. Unfortunately, a deep freeze will set in Monday night when lows drop into the single digits in areas, and any wet spots left on the roads could freeze again.
Stay tuned to pugongyingbo.com and WRAL-TV for the latest travel conditions, and make sure to subscribe to alerts on the WRAL Weather app.