Light snow slickens area roads

Start-and-stop snow showers Monday and Tuesday closed local schools, delayed Monday night basketball tournament games, and created the possibility of slippery streets in some parts of the county.

Volunteer observers for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (cocorahs.org) reported total snowfall amounts ranging from half an inch to two inches, with the latter figure along the Bedford/Moore county line.

Bedford County Highway Superintendent Stanley Smotherman said at about 9:15 that Unionville-Deason Road, Longview Road and several roads near Shelbyville Municipal Airport, including Minkslide Road, are "nothing but a solid sheet of ice."

Earlier this morning, Smotherman had hoped that if the sun came out at any time today it would help clear some roads.

Smotherman advised drivers who do make it out to allow extra time and drive with care. He said the county is well-provisioned with road salt.

The National Weather Service predicted a high temperature today right around the freezing point, 32 degrees, but sun on asphalt can cause it to become warmer than the air temperature.

Bedford County schools had been closed Monday, not because of weather but for the President's Day holiday. School Superintendent Ed Gray announced that they would remain closed on Tuesday due to some back roads with snow and due to the possibility of black ice overnight.

The county has still not used its allocation of eight snow days. Once all eight snow days have been used up, any additional snow days would have to be made up somewhere else in the calendar, such as by extending the school year.