After some snow arrived in Chattanooga after heavy preparations for a winter storm and many closings, warnings of hazardous roads remained in effect for Sunday morning.
The National Weather Service said motorists should be aware of the possibility of "black ice."
The warning says:
...TREACHEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING WITH WIDESPREAD BLACK ICE LIKELY... TEMPERATURES WILL DROP WELL BELOW FREEZING AFTER SUNSET TONIGHT. THIS WILL CAUSE MELTED SNOWFALL AND SLUSH TO QUICKLY REFREEZE ON AREA ROADS, BRIDGES, AND WALKWAYS...CREATING VERY DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS THROUGH LATE SUNDAY MORNING. WIDESPREAD BLACK ICE IS EXPECTED TO FORM ON UNTREATED AND SECONDARY ROADS CAUSING SLIPPERY CONDITIONS. EVEN IF A ROAD APPEARS CLEAR, IT MAY ACTUALLY BE COVERED BY A THIN LAYER OF ICE. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...USE EXTREME CAUTION, LEAVE ADEQUATE STOPPING DISTANCE BETWEEN VEHICLES, AND ALLOW ADDITIONAL TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION. .
There was a dusting of snow downtown and more on the higher elevations.
Bitter cold also swept in with the winter storm.
The W Road and Roberts Mill Road on Signal Mountain were closed on Friday, but reopened late Saturday afternoon.
Roy Exum on Lookout Mountain reported on Saturday morning, "We got maybe an inch ... not enough to completely cover the ground. Secondary roads are icy and, while they don't look it, they are slick.There is very little traffic ... no newspaper yet."
A Signal Mountain official said he had seven inches - but that was at his cabin in Western North Carolina where he and his wife had hunkered down for the storm.
Downtown streets began to get a coating around 9 p.m. on Friday.
Chattanooga Police officers began reporting just before 10 p.m. that roadways are beginning to ice over in the Chattanooga area. Specifically on Interstate 75 (north and southbound) near the Volkswagen Drive exit there have been several vehicle crashes related to the weather. The public works department was dispatching salt trucks to that area.
Police said, "When approaching this area of the Interstate, or traveling anywhere during these conditions, reduce speed and drive with an abundance of caution."
Sheriff's deputies temporarily closed the W Road and Roberts Mill Road due to freezing conditions late Friday.
Both roads will be closed through the duration of the night and will be re-opened Saturday morning weather permitting.
First Tennessee branches in Chattanooga closed on Saturday due to weather conditions. Banking is available at any of First Tennessee ATMs or online. It will reopen as usual on Monday morning.
The Hunter Museum is closed on Saturday and will reopen tomorrow at noon. Artful Yoga has been rescheduled to Jan. 14.
TDOT officials on Saturday afternoon said, "District 29 has finished with state routes in Hamilton and Rhea Counties and have released crews. Floating is finishing clean-up of interstate ramps in Hamilton County. I-75 in Bradley and McMinn counties is clear and dry with shoulders dry or drying. Bradley, McMinn, Meigs and Polk are continuing to work Priority 2 and 3 state routes and hope to have all those cleared before dark. All District 29 counties will have skeleton crews remain through the night monitoring routes for refreezing of today’s snow and ice melt."