Slippery roads may return with freezing rain advisory

From Staff Reports
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Tue Feb 01, 2011, 02:40 PM EST

CUMBERLAND — Rain coupled with subfreezing temperatures created slippery road conditions throughout the region Tuesday but with no major accidents reported by early afternoon.

Icing conditions shut down Garrett County government offices, delayed opening of circuit and district courts, and shut down school systems in Allegany and Garrett counties. Delayed openings were reported in other jurisdictions, including nearby West Virginia counties.

Few accidents were reported despite the freezing conditions — with the notable exception of a jackknifed tanker that blocked state Route 51 in the Collier Run Road area for about two hours. The driver declined medical treatment.

Early Tuesday afternoon, a freezing rain advisory was posted for the region by the National Weather Service for the period from 9 p.m. Tuesday into late Wednesday morning. The weather service also canceled a winter weather advisory and a winter storm watch that it posted Monday for the region.

“We are no means off the hook. The freezing rain advisory is posted for 9 p.m. tonight into late Wednesday morning,” said National Weather Service observer Tim Thomas in Cumberland. “There could up to two-tenths inch of freezing rain overnight.”

While freezing conditions were reported in the higher elevations, few weather-related calls were received by local emergency centers as of early Tuesday afternoon.

“We had a couple vehicles get hung up on the ice but no major accidents,” said a dispatcher at the Mineral County 911 center in Keyser.

At the Maryland State Police barrack in McHenry, public communication officer Brian Chaney said, “It’s not too bad. We actually have some 40-degree temperatures right now. But we’ll have to see what we are in for later.”

Allegany County Bureau of Police Lt. Rodney Bell said several side roads had been closed due to cars sliding into ditches.

“The side roads are terrible. The main roads are decent,” he said Tuesday morning.

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