7:30 A.M., Roads Covered With Ice...

...3:30 P.M., roads clear. That's the way things typically go here in the southern US. This morning was hazardous for nearly everyone, as a night snowfall turned to ice sheets on many of our area roads. On my way home from work Interstate I-485 was clear about 2/3 of my way home, unfortunately the bad part was on the last 1/3. In fact, the closer I got to home the worse the roads became. Once I left the Interstate the secondary roads were pretty grim, and I nearly skidded into another car about a mile from home. Instead of the road I usually take I took an alternate road with fewer grades. I skidded again slightly as I turned into the driveway.

My sister stayed home half a day before venturing out. Walking outside to check conditions she slipped on the sidewalk and went down, breaking a fingernail nearly to the quick and wrenching her arm.

The road in front of the house that I avoided on the way home saw a parade of cars going back and forth, indicating that somewhere along its shady path, probably at the bottom of a slope where a creek ran, an accident or series of accidents had occurred. Cars would be seen headed west, then returning minutes later, unable to continue down the road.

This is only the second snowfall of the year here. Typically we only have one or two per year, so hopefully we've seen the last of it.