Deep Freeze and driving too

Baby, it's cold outside! Not as cold as it is to the west of us, across the lake, but still hovering around zero or so. It's so cold that salt doesn't melt on the roads. THAT makes for interesting driving as I found out this morning.

I needed to be to work early as my annual review was today. So I left plenty early (so I thought.) After my creep down the hill by my house (it'll be a warm day before I go more than 10 mph down that hill again,) , M-21 seemed pretty good. I took the on-ramp to I-96 and that's where the fun began. There is an electronic info sign just after you get on. It was showing the message that there was an accident at the split (about a mile down the road where I-196 branches off to downtown from I-96.) So I start to slow down and, by golly, it was slippery (thought it didn't look like it.) Also the traffic had started to back up, it took a solid 10 minutes to go that mile. Looked like 3-4 cars in the accident plus 3-4 more that were slide-offs, probably to avoid the accident.

Crept along until I got past the split, one blessing was that I was only about 6 cars behind the M-DOT truck that was spreading sand as the salt wasn't working. So relatively good traction considering, as long as we took it slow. Passed another wreck on the side of the road about a mile later, plus a few other slide-offs as well. Slow and steady brought me downtown, where I broke one of my own unwritten rules and used my cellphone while driving (I wasn't going very fast) to call in to let work know I'd be late as I'd been stuck behind some accidents but it wouldn't be much longer as I was already almost to Lane Avenue (the exit before my exit.)

I spoke too soon. Just after Lane Avenue was a parking lot, or so it seemed as nobody was moving due to another accident between Lane Ave. and Lake Michigan Drive (my exit.) So I had to call back and let them know. Eventually got past the accident, but not until after I saw a car in the eastbound lanes do a spin and end up facing the other direction. Finally made it to work about 15 minutes later than I should have been there for the eval.

My saving grace there was that one of my supervisors was stuck in the same situation. They are also quite understanding so it wouldn't have been counted against me anyway.

It's supposed to get colder tomorrow before it starts warming up again in a few days. It's not the cold that bothers me but the effect on the roads. If you've read this blog much, you KNOW that I hate winter driving!