ClarksvilleNow.com Reporting
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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – A state of emergency has been declared as a winter storm making its way across Tennessee has led to poor road conditions and major traffic problems.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency has requested that the state National Guard deploy a 10-person crew with Humvees for motorist wellness checks.
Weather forecasters earlier urged motorists to stay off the roads. A wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain was expected to create up to a half-inch of ice on roads in parts of Middle Tennessee, and three-quarters of an inch in parts of West Tennessee.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued an Ice Storm Warning through 9 a.m. for Middle Tennessee.
Many surfaces are already covered in over half an inch of ice. Lt. Steve Warren with CPD says 24 collisions were reported Monday with more incident overnight. Read more about which areas are most dangerous here.
City and county road crews continue working to clear the roads, but Montgomery County Emergency Management Director Jerry Buchanan says there is no quick fix.
“It might be several days before they get these roads cleaned off because of that ice and sleet that came in at first, and of course we have the snow now,” he said.
Clarksville Street Department Director David Shepard said in order to properly salt the roads, crews need a decent amount of sunshine and temperatures at least in the 20s.
Officials are urging people not to get out on the roads because of the very slippery conditions unless absolutely necessary.
Residents in Middle Tennessee stormed grocery stores Sunday to prepare for the storm, resulting in empty bread aisles across the area./Photo courtesy of James Williams
Lt. Steve Warren with the Clarksville Police Department said several people have reported being stuck at Providence Blvd. and Riverside Dr. (Boot Hill), Meriwether Rd., Oakland Rd., and Fort Campbell Blvd. near Ringgold Bridge. Several vehicles have also had difficulty at Dover Crossing near Rite Aid.
Warren said the nighttime hours were fairly quiet, but crashes have started to increase as people get out on the roads.
Kentucky Gov. Beshear has declared a statewide emergency and asks drivers not to travel so crews can attempt to clear the roads.
The storm has caused the cancellation of flights and shutdown of many businesses and colleges. Check flights here.
Temperatures will likely remain below freezing through Saturday.
Let faucets drip overnight to prevent pipes from freezing and bring pets inside.
See more local closings and delays here.
Report power outages here.
Keep track of an updated forecast here.
For weather alert text messages sent directly to your phone, text news to 77000.
Send your snow photos to pics@clarksvillenow.com. Please include your full name.
Snow on Wilma Rudolph Blvd./Photo courtesy of WKRN News 2