MERCER COUNTY, W.Va. – Below freezing temperatures are expected to continue into Tuesday and emergency leaders in Mercer County want to remind people of potentially dangerous black ice.
Mercer County’s emergency management director, Keith Gunnoe says black ice is a thin coat of ice that blends into pavement, making it nearly invisible.
“Be prepared for black ice. That’s probably the simplest way to prepare for that. Black ice is transparent because of the surface that it is on,” said Gunnoe.
Gunnoe says several car crashes were reported on Sunday that he believes can be contributed to black ice. Gunnoe says drivers should slow down and expect black ice to be present when temperatures are below freezing and precipitation has been present.
Gunnoe says people should be especially weary for bridges and overpasses.
“Bridges and overpasses typically have black ice first. That road surface cools down faster because the air underneath the bridge drops the temperature of that surface,” said Gunnoe.
Gunnoe says even if roadways appear dry or treated with abrasives or road salt you should still slow down. He says if drivers begin to slide they should avoid hard braking and they should steer in the direction of the slide to correct their vehicle.
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