That black ice on your street isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, thanks to a havoc-causing combination of weather that started Monday, Jan. 2.
Ice formed on local roads after 6 p.m. Monday when rain made its way through the area. Temperatures began dropping around that same time, and Wright County roads began freezing, causing literally dozens of accidents.
A nasty melee happened near the St. Michael/Rogers border, where a slippery spot west of Highway 101 on westbound Interstate 94 caused a multiple vehicle accident and caused the Minnesota Department of Transportation to advise no travel between Maple Grove and Clearwater Monday night. The Rogers accident totaled out multiple cars, thanks in part to a semi truck and trailer that jackknifed and left the roadway, crashing into cars. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt. Witnesses on the scene said people were simply traveling too fast for the icy conditions.
A second multiple vehicle accident happened near Monticello, where three cars ended up in a nasty collision, but no one was seriously hurt. Again, ice was blamed as people spun out in the eastbound lanes.
Salt trucks hit the road Monday night after the first wave of rain came through, but they weren’t able to hit many backroads, and several off and on-ramps to highways and interstates remain very slippery. Highway 55 was hit particularly hard with ice in some spots, and those spots remained Tuesday afternoon.
That black ice won’t be going anywhere now, as the mercury is expected to dip below zero each night from Wednesday through Saturday, and the high temperatures aren’t expected to top 10 degrees above until next Monday.