Icy Roads Snarl Traffic

Winter weather advisory issued until 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Winter weather snarled the afternoon rush hour across the Metroplex, leaving some drivers still on the road late Monday night.

Several roadways with icy patches posed problems for drivers because of rain mixed with freezing drizzle. Police and fire crews reported numerous wrecks on icy bridges.

In Tarrant County, parts of Interstate 30, Interstate 20 and Interstate 35 closed at times on Monday because of crashes. At least six drivers lost control at about the same time on the Hemphill bridge just off Interstate 20.

No fatal crashes were reported in Dallas County, but authorities said there was one 10-vehicle pileup in south Dallas near Interstate 45 and Interstate 20.

Several police departments said they will not have a final count of weather-related crashes until Tuesday.

NBC 5's meteorologists say the ground temperature is warm enough that most of the roads in Dallas and Fort Worth should be fine, but icy patches on bridge sand overpases remain a concern. Crews worked Monday night to keep bridges and overpasses free of ice.

The Dallas Sheriff's Department asked people to stay off the roads. The Texas Department of Transportation said Monday night its sand trucks are having difficulty getting to trouble spots because of afternoon traffic still stuck on the roads.

In Collin County, the North Texas Tollway Authority and TxDOT planned to run sand and salt trucks throughout the night.

Major school districts in North Texas said they will monitor road conditions overnight and decide Tuesday morning if there will be any closings or delays.

A winter weather advisory was issued by the National Weather Service just after 2 p.m. Monday through 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Overnight, most of the precipitation will fall east and northeast of the Metroplex through the evening and overnight into Tuesday, said NBC 5 meteorologist James Aydelott.

Aydelott said areas to the northeast of the Metroplex will see significant travel problems on Tuesday morning. Areas in the Metroplex will see spotty slick spots on untreated bridges and overpasses during Tuesday's morning commute.

Monday morning, the stretch of state Highway 66 linking Rowlett and Rockwall over Lake Ray Hubbard closed temporarily due to ice on the bridge. 

Initial reports indicated that water from the lake splashed onto the bridge and then froze, causing several crashes, officials said. The Texas Department of Transportation covered the bridge with sand, and the road reopened shortly before noon.

Other locations with reported ice or crashes were the bridge at state Highway 121 and the North Dallas Tollway in Frisco, Highway 121 and Legacy in Frisco and the Tollway and Spring Creek Parkway in Plano.

Stay tuned to NBC 5 for updates to this story. For the latest road conditions, visit our traffic page.

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