Honkin' Mad

No major icing expected on roads

Snowfall was widespread in the Fort Worth area by 3 p.m. Tuesday. However, officials with the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office are not predicting widespread problems with icing on the roads.

“We’re finally seeing snow moving into the immediate Metroplex, and at times producing visibiliity of a half-mile to a quarter-mile,” National Weather Service meteorologist Jennifer Dunn said about 3:30 p.m. “It’s probably been snowing a half hour and it’s just now starting to stick to grassy surfaces. Most of what we’ve heard has been that, even west of the Metroplex, it’s generally a dusting, maybe enough to cover the grass. In Stephens County, though, they did report one to two inches on grassy surfaces but some that is starting to melt.”

Dunn added that motorists should use caution, because pockets of ice could still form, particularly on bridges on the western outskirts of Dallas-Fort Worth.

“Temperatures have been falling and, seeing that changeover, there is the potential for refreeezing,” she said. “But as far as we know, the roads are fine. We are forecasting temperatures to remain at or kind of near freezing, but in outlying areas the potential for freezing is probably a little bit higher. We’re not expecting widespread issues. As snow falls, you can tell it’s melting when it hits the concrete. We may have freezing conditions for a couple of hours overnight. Just use caution. We don’t have the wind we had the other day to really knock those temperatures down.”

Snow but no ice, so far

Snow is falling in much of Fort Worth at 3:10 p.m., but so far there are no reports of ice on roadways, Texas Dept. of Transportation spokeswoman Holly Hughes said.

Crews are still patrolling the highways looking for ice, and occasionally squirting bridges with liquid magnesium chloride to keep ice from forming. But overall things are moving nicely, she said.

G.

Trying to keep ice off highways in DFW

Crews are already out on Fort Worth highways, spreading an anti-icing substance to keep bridges passable, Texas Department of Transportation spokeswoman Holly Hughes said. "They've been out pre-treating since about 9:30," she said, adding that roads and bridges are being treated in Tarrant, Johnson, Parker, Wise and several other counties on the western side of Dallas-Fort Worth. "We've got crews in all areas ready to go out. They'll work until midnight."

The pre-treatment is a liquid magnesium chloride, which when used effectively prevents ice crystals from bonding to road pavement. However, it's a bit tricky to use in North Texas, where snow is often preceded by a cold rain -- which often washes the pre-treatment into the gutter and allows the ice to form anyway.

"At least they're out there trying," Hughes said. "We're prepared for it." If ice forms, the agency can also apply granular forms of deicing material.

In Dallas, crews are already pretreating the High Five interchange of LBJ Freeway and Central Expressway, which has several miles of bridges and flyovers and during freezing events often creates a commuting nightmare for motorists.

-- G.

T employees rescue bus rider in cardiac arrest

The Fort Worth bus driver sensed something wasn't right when she saw a man slumped over at a bus stop.

Drinking this weekend? Take a bus or train ...

Buses and trains can be a safe way to get around — particularly if you’ve been drinking and don’t want to drive — but check the schedules first. The Fort Worth Transportation Authority, which runs T buses and co-owns the Trinity Railway Express, will operate on a reduced schedule during the long New Year’s weekend. However, there will be several routes to special events.

• Thursday — Buses and Molly the Trolley will run on a regular schedule. TRE runs on a Saturday-style schedule, with a Dallas Stars game train and three extra westbound trains serving Victory Station after the Big D NYE 2010 fireworks show in Dallas.
• Friday — No bus, train or trolley service.
• Saturday — Regular Saturday bus, train and trolley service, plus a Stars game train.
• Sunday — Normal Sunday service for buses and trains. No TRE service. Also, the T will operate Cowboys Coach service to the Dallas Cowboys game in Arlington. Coaches begin leaving Fort Worth T&P Station, 200 W. Vickery St., about two hours prior to the scheduled 3 p.m. kickoff.

More: www.the-t.com or 817-215-8600.

— Gordon Dickson

Pic: Michael Ainsworth of The Dallas Morning News captured images of last year's New Year's Eve celebration in Dallas.

Should pickup owners pay lower fees?

State lawmakers want to overhaul vehicle registration fees that Texans pay yearly. Some say it isn't fair that pickups are charged lower fees than other private vehicles.  

p.s. The pix are for illustrative purposes only. The pickup pic is from a Michigan moving company (www.twomen.com) and the Texas license plate is from an era when registration stickers were affixed to the rear license plate, instead of the front windshield.

New toll road era in Fort Worth

Toll lanes are being built in four Tarrant County corridors, and most of them will feature value pricing -- a concept in which toll rates vary based on traffic conditions.

Sun shining in Abilene

On a more optimistic note, Sandra Parker of the Texas Department of Transportation reports that the sun has poked through the clouds in Abilene, and highway workers are hopeful that I-20 will soon be reopened and Christmas Eve travelers can be on their way.

Stranded motorists sheltered in Cisco, Eastland, Ranger

A number of motorists stranded in Eastland County, about 80 miles west of Fort Worth, are being sheltered in area hotels and churches, said Sandra Parker, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Transportation's nearby Brownwood office. However, she clarified that there isn't a single shelter being set up to handle people who have either been involved in a crash or otherwise can't navigate the iced-over Interstate 20.

"With four-wheel drives, they're going and pulling people out of ditches and getting them moving again," she said. "The ones that end up in town, they just call around to schools and churches and wherever they can get inside."

The fire departments in Cisco, Eastland and Ranger are working together.

I-20 shut down 80 miles west of Fort Worth!

Avoid I-20 west of Fort Worth if you can. The highway is "basically closed" west of Ranger Hill, about 80 miles west of Fort Worth. That's according to Val Lopez at the Texas Department of Transportation.

Also, in north Tarrant County TxDot maintenance crews have begun pretreating bridges and overpasses to prevent ice formation. Crews are spraying a liquid magnesium chloride to prevent icing. Later in the evening, if ice forms on the roads, the crews will spread a granular mix of sand and magnesium chloride pellets known as chat.

-- G.