COLUMBUS – The season’s first taste of winter weather was only a taste, not a banquet, but it was enough to slow the morning commute, delay the start of schools and cause scattered power outages in in central Ohio Thursday morning.
A winter weather advisory issued by the National Weather Service warned of a mix of rain and freezing rain, possibly mixing with snow later during the day Thursday.
Freezing Rain continues to impact the area. Ice accumulation up to three tenths of an inch expected . This will result in hazardous travel this morning prior to temperatures warming above freezing. pic.twitter.com/mQSyX6H9p9
— NWS Wilmington OH (@NWSILN) November 15, 2018
More than 160 school districts cancelled or delayed classes for the day.
Over 50 pieces of equipment from the City of Columbus Division of Infrastructure were in service Thursday morning, treating arterial roadways, State Routes 315, 104 and 161, and U.S. Route 33. The Street Maintenance section has approximately 24,000 tons of salt and over 100,000 gallons of liquid anti/de-icing agents on hand, spokesman Michael Liggett said.
Early morning fill-up. Crews have been in since midnight battling freezing rain. Drivers should take caution on ramps and bridges since they freeze before surface roads. #ODOTwinter pic.twitter.com/pfknDEjEJc
— ODOT Columbus (@ODOT_Columbus) November 15, 2018
More than 100 Ohio Department of Transportation crews salted interstates, state and US routes. The temperatures on the road surfaces remained above freezing but ramps and bridges freeze first, so spokeswoman Breanna Badanes said crews continued to treat any slick spots, using salt because the rain would have washed away any liquid deicers.
Much of southwest and western Ohio was under an ice storm warning Thursday. Duke Energy reported more than 95,000 customers without power in the Cincinnati region where ice brought down trees and power lines.
Police said roads were slippery and hazardous. Two pre-dawn accidents closed exit ramps in the Dublin and Gahanna areas.
American Electric Power reported more than 8,700 customers in Delaware and Franklin counties were power as icy rain brought down tree limbs and power lines and ignited utility pole fires.
I-70 was shut down in both directions for about an hour between Reynoldsburg and Pickerington because fallen utility wires blocked the roadway.
Down power lines closed U.S. Route 33 in both directions at U.S. Route 36 in Union County.
Fallen Union Rural Electric Cooperative lines also closed Raymond Road in Union County for a time and shut down W. 8th Street in Marysville.
Canton police in northeast Ohio reported a fatal crash on U.S. 30 caused chain-reaction crashes involving several cars.
Weather conditions were expected to improve by evening.