NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Another morning of sub-freezing temperatures means crews will be out again Tuesday working to ensure roadways in the mid-state have been cleared of any potential icy patches.
Crews from the Tennessee Department of Transportation spent Monday cleaning ice off roadways. The biggest concern Tuesday is black ice patches along with snow and ice refreezing on bridges and overpasses.
TDOT crews continued putting down salt on the road around midnight. As long as temperatures stay below freezing, officials said roads could be hazardous.
"This is really going to be problematic when these damp spots that are still out here refreeze," said TDOT spokesperson Deanna Lambert.
TDOT has extra crews on stand-by in case some spots continue to cause problems for drivers.
Many of are school systems announced Tuesday closings due to the anticipated temperatures and moisture already on the road.
Davidson, Williamson, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Cheatham, Montgomery and Maury Counties will be closed. For a full list of closures, visit our Snow Watch School Closings page.
Davidson County was experiencing icy road conditions and 1 to 1.5 inches of snow accumulation in some areas Monday morning. Roads and especially overpasses became extremely hazardous resulting in multiple motor vehicle accidents.
"When the situation is like this we want to make sure that we waver on caution side and take care of our citizens," said William Swann, with the Office of Emergency Management. "If drivers don't have to be out, then quite frankly we prefer that they're not."
In the Nashville area, Metro Police said between midnight and 11 a.m., officers responded to a total of 276 crash, including 35 with injuries. None of the injuries were critical.
Many drivers were stranded for hours waiting for a tow truck. Employees at Tow Pro in Antioch dealt with phones ringing off the hook. They had 60 calls for 20 tow truck drivers from midnight to noon.
Because of the weather, all Metropolitan Transit Authority buses operated on a snow route detours Monday. Buses will return to regular weekday routes on Tuesday morning.
Keith Todd with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said there were several problems with crashes and vehicles off the roadway between Murray and Hazel, just across the Tennessee-Kentucky border Monday.
Motorist are urged to check road condition before getting out Tuesday morning. For the latest on Tennessee roads, go to TDOT SmartWay. You can check the latest on Kentucky roadways by going to theKentucky Transportation Cabinet website.
Allow extra space between vehicles so there is adequate distance for braking in icy conditions.
iContribute: Viewer-Submitted Photos of Ice, Snow
Power outages were reported Monday morning, with nearly 9,000 Nashville Electric Service Customers without power overnight. As of 6 a.m. Tuesday, only about 430 remained without power.
Around 7:30 a.m., Dickson Electric Service reported that 10,000 customers were without power after 400 outages. Crews were working to restore power, but the power company said it could be Friday before all power is restored.
Governor Bill Haslam declared a State of Emergency in Tennessee Sunday due to the threat of a wintry front moving across the area.
The Office of Emergency Management in Nashville partially activated the emergency center beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday in preparation for the threat of icy conditions.
The front comes as a result of a Western storm system pushing warm, gulf air to the East and will collide with another batch of Arctic air.
