Crashes reported on Ann Arbor roads, freeways as snow falls
Light snow Saturday morning has created slippery conditions on roads and freeways in the Ann Arbor area.
A few crashes had been reported on area freeways and more on surface streets, a dispatcher with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office said.
One crash was affecting traffic on the exit ramp from westbound Interstate 94 to Jackson road, the dispatcher said at 9:30 a.m.
Snow showers are likely until about 2 p.m., the National Weather Service says, and with a high of 23 expected for the day. About an inch of accumulation is expected.
Saturday night, it will be cloudy with the low dipping to 11 degrees.
Snow showers are likely Sunday, mainly between 8 a.m. and noon. Less than half an inch of accumulation is expected. It will be cloudy with a high around 24. Winds gusting to 24 mph will make it feel colder though.
Sunday night, we’ll stay in the deep freeze, with the low dropping back to 11. Temperatures will remain in the 20s with nighttime lows in the teens until Thursday, when the Ann Arbor area is expected to see a high near 30.
View Crash 020213 in a larger map
For update forecasts and conditions anytime, check AnnArbor.com's weather page.
Comments
justcurious
Sun, Feb 3, 2013 : 3:15 a.m.
We left at 7 am this morning to drive up near Cadillac. We saw no Washtenaw County plows on I-94 heading west. Just after we hit the Jackson County line we began to see snow plows actively salting. We saw 6 snow plows before we hit US-127 and headed north. Between Jackson and Clare we saw 8 more snow plows salting the free way. The further north we drove the better the condition of the roads. It was snowing pretty good but the roads were just wet and in great shape. We saw no accidents in 220 miles. It was the same on our drive back down this evening. I do not blame the workers for the lack of good snow maintenance in our county but I do blame the people who make the decisions about when and where to salt and plow the roads and the fact that they never use any sand. We should not be seeing dramatic changes when we cross over the line into other counties. Why do we?
ypsi-investor
Sun, Feb 3, 2013 : 9:53 p.m.
I drove to Grand Rapids yesterday and I-96 was closed from Ionia to GR due to icing roads and a very bad accident. How did the majority of drivers respond to this road condition. They slowed down to 25mph.
dading dont delete me bro
Sun, Feb 3, 2013 : 2:52 a.m.
what's it gonna be like when we get some real snow?
aceduece
Sat, Feb 2, 2013 : 7:50 p.m.
Here we go again. Thankfully its on a Saturday and there are no school buses out. Cars do not slide into school buses when the ROADS ARE SALTED!!!!!!!! Maybe the city should think about putting more money into a more fully staffed winter road crew than a $700,000.00 sculpture for city hall by a foreign artist(at least a local artist!).
actionjackson
Sun, Feb 3, 2013 : 12:48 a.m.
That sculpture is prehistoric as far as news. It is like the thousand bales of hay that the city used in 1894 to overfeed the horses on patrol.
Orangecrush2000
Sat, Feb 2, 2013 : 7:32 p.m.
I predict that a Harbaugh will win a Super Bowl.
Will
Sat, Feb 2, 2013 : 4:47 p.m.
I agree withJRW. I used to drive from Ann Arbor to Detroit daily. When it snowed, the roads were treacherous in Washtenaw county until I hit Rawsonville Rd. ( Wayne County) and magically the roads were clear. I blame the road commission for the accidents.
Tesla
Sat, Feb 2, 2013 : 6:07 p.m.
who do you blame for everything else?
MRunner73
Sat, Feb 2, 2013 : 4:31 p.m.
It is difficult to recall any day at any time of year where there is not at least one wreck.
edjasbord
Sat, Feb 2, 2013 : 8:20 p.m.
I can guarantee you that there will be no accidents, zero, on March 10th between the hours of 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Book it.
tdw
Sat, Feb 2, 2013 : 4:49 p.m.
They don't seem to happen on Sundays very often.But that's about it
JRW
Sat, Feb 2, 2013 : 3:48 p.m.
This is not news. These accidents happen every day in the AA area due to the lack of salting, plowing and road maintenance when it snows. These snow events are well-publicized in advance of the storms and yet, the salt is not applied in a proactive manner. How about an article that compares the number of accidents in Washtenaw County with surrounding counties during snow events.
Chaordic
Sun, Feb 3, 2013 : 3:34 a.m.
JRW - agreed - even better would be a study by someone who is interested in public health policy, transportation planning, or even actuarial science to independently identify the root cause factors of why our local governments are challenged more than others to maintain acceptable road conditions in winter. Presumably we are paying an unnecessary cost in our car insurance rates as a result.
Chaordic
Sun, Feb 3, 2013 : 2:39 a.m.
RED, to me this isn't an issue about the WCRC drivers themselves nor a question of their commitment - they do great work once they've been deployed - it is about the timing of when the operations managers dispatch the crews that results in a consistently inferior approach as compared to surrounding counties with similar traffic volumes (i.e. Wayne, Oakland). To the many of us who live in Washtenaw County who drive to metro Detroit areas, it has been the case for years (decades...) that the other counties are using superior timing and methods of clearing the roads. For whatever incomprehensible reasons, presumably a combination of bureaucratic thinking and stubbornness, our roads and highways are allowed to have markedly higher human health risk to the public in the winter. Take a trip out M-14 to Plymouth next time we have a snowfall, or head down I-94 to the airport - you undoubtedly will experience a difference. BTW my comments here apply to the City of Ann Arbor as well however there are additional political factors that afflict the situation.
actionjackson
Sun, Feb 3, 2013 : 12:44 a.m.
JRW, Did you get "let go" from WCRC?
red
Sat, Feb 2, 2013 : 9:32 p.m.
JRW, I have to wonder why you have so much hate for the WCRC. It seems like you post on every article written about the weather and traffic conditions on what a horrid job the road commission does. I am the wife of a WCRC plow driver. I am proud of what my husband does. He works hard, gets called in nights, weekends, and holidays, whenever there is the need. He is a professional driver, has a CDL licence, just like all the other drivers on the WCRC. It is more than just a job for him, he truly cares about keeping the roads clear and the drivers safe. If the drivers would just slow down and get off their phone and drive for the road conditions, there would be far fewer accidents. And JRW, when I left for work this morning, the WCRC drivers were out salting and blading and they were still out on my drive home. Seems like nothing they ever do is good enough in your eyes.
Tesla
Sat, Feb 2, 2013 : 6:06 p.m.
and if the article proved you wrong...who would you blame then?
tdw
Sat, Feb 2, 2013 : 3:54 p.m.
JRW....Ok...who or what do you blame the daily accidents in the summer on ?
tdw
Sat, Feb 2, 2013 : 3:15 p.m.
I like many others have mentioned that a article about the accidents that happen almost every day in the area would make a good story.A2.com has mentioned the possibility of one.I wounder if they are still considering it.A2.com ?
Goober
Sat, Feb 2, 2013 : 3:08 p.m.
How soon we forget how to drive in the snow. Go figure!