Ice Storm May Bring Treacherous Conditions, Especially For Drivers: 'It's Not Like A Snowstorm When You See The Snow'
MOUNTAIN LAKES, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- People across the Tri-State Area are getting ready for an ice storm.
CBS2's Vanessa Murdock took the Mobile Weather Lab to parts of New Jersey on Monday.
From Schulenberg, Texas, where officers responding to an accident had to scramble for their lives after another vehicle hit a patch of ice and went tumbling toward them, to Houston where slick conditions landed an RV on its side, and then northeast to Tennessee, where an SUV slid sideways down the roadway unable to get any traction. All this and so many more scary scenes unfolded as an epic winter storm forged a path toward the Tri-State Area and beyond.
An Ice Storm Warning is in effect for Northwest New Jersey and Orange County. It's the first of its kind in a decade. The last one was in February of 2011.
"It's a little nerve-wracking actually. I feel like it it's going to be dangerous on the road," said Jackie Hunka, explaining why she was out early, so she didn't have to venture out at night.
LINKS: Check The Latest Forecast | Winter Storm Survival Guide
"It's kind of like a snow storm, but it's just ice," said 8-year-old Ava Sauer.
Ava Sauer told CBS2's Vanessa Murdock they have what they need at home to thwart Mother Nature's plans.
"We buy ice melt," Ava said.
"There is still ice on the ground from before, and it's super slippery. We'll take our bucket of salt and shake it around," said Kim Sauer.
From buckets to sheds full of the stuff in Morris County. Director of Emergency Management Jeffrey Paul is urging the public to be mindful of the conditions.
MORE STORM INFORMATION FROM NYC:
- Guidance on restaurant preparations
- Severe weather guidance
- Department of Sanitation snow operations
- Track NYC snow plows
- Sign Up To Work For NYC To Remove Snow
"Doesn't matter what kind of tires you have, ice is ice, and you are going to slide no matter what," Paul said.
Paul told Murdock crews start spreading salt when the freezing rain starts, continue through the worst of it and even after it ends.
"Storms like this are very challenging because you can't see the danger on the roadways. It's not like a snowstorm when you see the snow, so you know to slow down," said Steve Schapiro of the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Schapiro said NJDOT planned for the worst-case scenarios and is hoping for the best. Preparations started Sunday, with salt spreaders loaded up and prepositioned.
