A. Areas
1) Roads
70% of winter weather related injuries are the result of vehicle accidents. A thick blanket of snow or ice on roads makes driving difficult, and a bad idea. If the road is covered by a blanket of snow, it is difficult to determine where the road ends and a ditch or other hazard begins; driving becomes even more perilous when two cars are attempting to travel down a road with no visible lanes, and inclined roads can become impassible. In the event of an accident, drivers may be stranded for many hours in harsh weather conditions waiting for assistance.
Freezing rain and sleet can dramatically worsen the driving hazard by creating a dangerously slick, icy road surface.
Clearing ice or snow covered roads is also a problem; with limited equipment in NC due to the relative infrequency of events, priority is given to main thoroughfares and secondary roads are largely untouched during the initial hours after a storm has passed.
Black ice is also a major hazard associated with frozen precipitation on roads, and it doesn’t begin until the storm has ended! When snow and ice begin to melt, the resultant liquid can linger on the roadways until night, and if temperatures fall below freezing can refreeze creating a thin sheet of ice that is impossible to see. It is called black ice because of the fact that it blends in with the road surface, and is very difficult to detect while driving.
The melting/refreezing process can occur for many days after a storm, and will only end once all moisture is melted and evaporated, and roads are dry.