Temperatures across the Nashville area dropped as much as 30 degrees as a winter front moved across the area.
TEMA elevated the State Emergency Operations Center to a Level 3 State of Emergency around 4 p.m. Friday due to the winter weather. They asked the public to avoid travel on roadways if possible.
(UPDATE: On Saturday, TEMA downgraded the alert status to Level 4, ending the State of Emergency.)
The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning for West Tennessee and the western portion of the Mid-State. Davidson County, as well as most counties south and east of Davidson in the Mid-State, were placed under a Winter Weather Advisory.
On Friday, most areas saw freezing rain turn to a wintry mix. When the snow fell after that, it measured anywhere from multiple inches to only an inch in some areas, but it had a layer of ice below it causing dangerous travel conditions.
In one incident, a firetruck responding to another crash hit a slick spot, rolled off the road, and down a ditch in Antioch not far from Bell Road.
TDOT and other fire crews were on the scene and said fortunately no one was hurt. Crews worked on Saturday to remove the truck from the ditch.
Learn more about TDOT crews and road conditions here.
Weather 101: Find the cold front! Our western counties are seeing some winter weather. Your forecast #NOWonNC5#tnwx#kywx#Storm5Alertpic.twitter.com/8SlsM6wmpa
— Lelan Statom (@NC5_LelanStatom) January 12, 2018
Friday Morning: The system began as rain Friday morning in the Mid-State. Roads were wet for the morning drive, but as cold air moved in, the switch to freezing rain and sleet made driving conditions treacherous.
Nashville began to switch from rain to freezing rain between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. West Tennessee saw the change first during the early morning hours. Some areas ended up with a tenth of an inch of ice.
7:40 a.m. #Storm5Alert UPDATE: We've gotten several reports of snow/sleet accumulating in our western counties and bridges and overpasses becoming icy. Road conditions will deteriorate rapidly. If you don't have to be on the roads, STAY IN! @NC5pic.twitter.com/YcPaSeuqn6
— Heather Mathis (@NC5_HMathis) January 12, 2018
Friday Afternoon: There were breaks in the ice and snow at times, with scattered snow showers and flurries throughout the afternoon. Roads were slick for the evening drive with a layer of ice and, for some, snow on top of the ice. Some areas reported up to five inches of snow, but most places around Nashville were seeing one to two inches.
Friday Evening - Saturday Morning: This was the time to try and stay off the roads if possible. After a period of freezing rain, sleet, and snow, freezing temperatures overnight (low temperature forecast around 24 degrees in the Mid-State) made for dangerous roads. Flurries have been expected to continue Saturday morning with a high temperature around 29 degrees.
