Roads around Southwest Michigan were dangerous on Thursday morning, as overnight rain created a sheet of ice over almost every surface. By early afternoon, local road commissions and warmer temperatures had helped to make most major roads passable...but smaller side roads remained a different story. The Berrien County Road Commission told us around noon that crews were out in force, but many side streets continued to be slick. Officials said that they were just waiting for the next thing -- which was expected to be freezing rain later Thursday evening. As for the highways -- Michigan State Police out of Bridgman told us Thursday afternoon that despite some crashes in the early morning hours, I-94 was pretty much all clear by eleven AM. Elsewhere, the Michigan Department of Transportation's Nick Schirippa reported safe driving on I-94 around the region, although he said that what happens when more freezing rain comes is anybody's guess. He said that road crews would be prepared to salt slippery surfaces, as long as that's feasible...and added that if they have enough time, an anti-icing compound could also be added to the roads to prepare for additional ice. In general, though, motorists were advised to drive carefully during the day, and try to avoid the roads after dark.
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