Chattanooga area highways may be slick this morning

photo A Chattanooga Public Works Department truck disperses a brine solution on the Olgiati Bridge on Monday afternoon. Weather forecasts included the possibility of a wintry mix Monday night.

SCHOOL CLOSINGS

See a list of the latest local weather delays here.

Precautions were taken Monday for a storm system carrying a light wintry mix across most of southern Tennessee, North Georgia and North Alabama.

Crews, including those from Chattanooga and Signal Mountain, began salting the roads Monday evening for icy overnight conditions. Forecasters said the storm system would arrive around midnight, bringing about one-tenth of an inch of freezing rain. As temperatures continued to drop, the freezing rain was predicted to turn to snow, they said.

"We'll see things move to light snow, and possibly 2 inches in the higher terrain," said Mary Black of the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tenn. "There is a chance for some snow accumulation of about 1 inch in the lower terrain, as well."

The snow is expected to transition back to rain early as temperatures begin to climb into the mid-40s today.

"[The snow] should be cleared up before people are leaving in the morning," Black said.

But the rain and water left behind could produce some hazardous road conditions.

"There might be some slick spots early in the morning, but other than that, I don't see any real road problems," WRCB-TV Channel 3 Chief Meteorologist Paul Barys said.

Amy Maxwell of Hamilton County Emergency Services said the salting the roads is a standard procedure when inclement weather is in the forecast.

"If a severe amount of inches [of snow] was forecasted, it'd be a different story," she said. "But we always want to enforce that people are aware of their surroundings, make sure to venture out in plenty of time and to always buckle their seat belts."

Contact staff writer Adam Poulisse at apoulisse@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592.

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