| Nashville Tennessean
Nashville and much of Middle Tennessee woke up to freezing temperatures, a thin layer of ice and snow patches on cars, sidewalks, sidewalks and roads on Monday morning.
The authorities ask residents to stay at home as long as possible, but if you really need to venture out into the freezing cold, drive slowly and be careful.
“This is no ordinary snowstorm,” Tennessee Highway Patrol Lieutenant Charlie Caplinger said on Sunday, moving away from dump trucks loaded with road salt. “It doesn’t matter what kind of vehicle you’re driving. On the ice, you can’t stop.”
The storm may ease a little on Monday morning, but it is expected to return strongly at noon, bringing snow throughout the afternoon and night. While parts of the region may see rain, the NWS has warned that falling temperatures at night will freeze anything that has melted during the day.
As of 9 am, the National Meteorological Service reported that about two tenths and three tenths of ice had accumulated in the region. Another round of freezing rain and hail was on its way before lunch, changing to snow around 3:00 or 4:00 pm
Legislative sessions canceled on Tuesday due to weather
Due to bad weather, all Tennessee Senate Committee meetings scheduled for Tuesday will be closed.
I-40 westbound closed until noon in Wilson County
Interstate 40 west in Wilson County is closed due to a tractor trailer with a knife.
The closed road is at mile mark 243. It was reported at 10am and expected to be cleared at noon.
Clarksville could see up to 15 inches of snow
Clarksville and Waverly could see between four and six inches of snow, while Nashville could see two and a half inches. Further east and south, in Middle Tennessee, accumulation forecasts decrease between half an inch and an inch.
As of 5 am on Monday, 23 of the 26 counties in Middle Tennessee were reporting ice and snow on roads, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
“The crews have been working overnight and are currently focused on treating interstates and the busiest state routes,” said TDOT spokeswoman Kathryn Schulte in a post on Twitter.
As of 7 am on Monday, only a few road accidents have been recorded and appear to have been eliminated, officials said.
Nashville closes roads, preparing for continuous storms
Nashville Metro Police Department officers are working at least two hours after their regular shifts to answer bad weather calls. Between 6 am and 6 pm on Sunday, 230 accidents with property damage and 40 accidents with injuries were recorded in Nashville.
Nashville is expected to receive about three to four inches of snow, but parts of Middle Tennessee are expected to be six inches or more. The next storm is expected to be the most snowy in Tennessee since January 2016, when it fell 20 centimeters.
Icy asphalt is likely throughout Middle Tennessee, but especially on smaller, less busy roads and bridges. In Williamson County, cold weather prompted authorities to close about 20 sections of road, including parts of Nolensville Road, on Sunday. After a delay, WeGo Public Transit resumed selected routes in Nashville. All regional or canceled routes. The full list of updates can be found at nashvillemta.org/Nashville-MTA-News-Alerts.asp.
‘IT WAS INSANE’: Icy roads caused shipwreck of 21 vehicles on I-24 in Nashville
Cold weather also prompted the Nashville city government to open an emergency shelter for the homeless at the Nashville fair complex on 500 Wedgewood Avenue. The shelter opened at 7 am on Monday and will remain open until Tuesday morning.
Nashville’s “cold patrol” officials will also be out at night this week to check on members of the homeless community and provide supplies and rides to the shelters.
The winter storm should be strong enough to cancel most public schools if Monday was not yet President’s Day, a federal holiday when most school districts do not have classes. In Montgomery County, one of the few districts where classes will take place on Monday, all classes have been transferred online due to the cold.
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Metro Water: Protection against freezing of pipes
Metro Water Services has asked customers to take precautions to prevent water pipes from freezing, including the following tips:
- Remove all external connections from the hose and insulate the hose bibs.
- Cover the foundation openings.
- Insulate exposed water pipes.
- Allow the warmest air in your home to reach the water pipes by opening the cabinet doors.
- Let a small trickle of water, about the size of pencil lead, drain from a cold tap.
- Keep the meter box closed to prevent cold air from reaching the meter and tubes.
Metro Water also said it is important to find the water shut-off valve inside your home, so that it can be closed quickly to prevent further damage if a pipe bursts. The valve can be in the basement, under the kitchen sink, in a utility cupboard, near the water heater or even under your home in a tight space. Metro Water recommends tagging the valve for easy access in the future.
“If you experience frozen water lines, remember to NEVER use open flames,” said Metro Water. “An open flame can cause the water in the pipe to turn into steam and create enough pressure to crack the pipe. Sometimes the ice in a pipe melts if you heat it with a hairdryer or wrap it in towels hot. “
If you find a leaking or broken pipe in your home, contact a plumber. Leakage or rupture of the water pipe should be reported to (615) 862-4600 immediately.
Nashville airport cancels, delays flights
Nashville International Airport has announced that many flights are canceled or delayed due to weather conditions.
“It is highly recommended that passengers check with their airlines for the latest flight status information,” the airport wrote in a post on Twitter.
The airport also said to be careful when driving to and from the airport and checking flight status if you plan to catch someone today.
Kourosh Amini flew from Irvine, California to Nashville, to visit the City of Music with his wife and a group of friends. Three days later, he is stuck at the airport and is not sure when he will be able to fly home.
“One of our friends (flights) was rescheduled for Thursday,” said Amini. “We can’t go on Thursday, so we’ll be here until the flight.”
Amini originally planned to return home on Monday, but booked a flight home on Sunday night to try to get out before the bad weather hit Nashville. Sunday night’s flight was canceled around midnight, and his group returned to the rented property for the night.
When he returned to the BNA to check in for his midday flight home, he received a message that the flight was being postponed to 3 pm. The BNA announced in a tweet on Monday morning that “many flights” scheduled for the day have been canceled or delayed due to bad weather, but their United Airlines flight is still running after 11 am
He plans to stay at the airport until he is on a flight home or until he hangs up completely; in that case, he will stay with a friend in the city.
“The other flights are being canceled now,” said Amini. “I’m not sure how this is going to happen.”
Montgomery County: icy roads
Montgomery County residents woke up on Monday with a layer of ice – about half an inch thick in places – and a layer of snow covering roads and other surfaces as the snow continued to fall. Just before 8 am, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department reported that visibility had improved, but said the roads are still covered with ice and snow.
MPs reported that many county roads are covered with a solid layer of ice.
“It is likely to be a significant snow event,” Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett said in a statement on Sunday urging drivers to stay off the road.
Rutherford County: MTSU cancels classes
After closing campus operations on Sunday afternoon, Middle Tennessee State University decided to extend the closure to closed Monday due to bad weather. All classes – in person and online – are suspended during the day.
“The only exception will be for operations essential to public security and services to campus residents,” the university said in a press release. “Employees who provide essential services should contact their supervisors if they feel that conditions are too dangerous to travel.”
Williamson County: roads, closed medical center
Many Williamson County roads were closed on Monday morning due to the ice.
Williamson Medical Center and Williamson Medical Group closed all clinics on Monday. Outpatient and elective services, including surgeries, imaging tests and laboratory tests, scheduled for Monday, have been canceled.
All Williamson County parks and recreational facilities are closed on Monday, along with all Brentwood parks and libraries.
Wilson County: Almost quiet, some small debris
Wilson County Emergency Management Agency director Joey Cooper reported some minor shipwrecks on I-40 before 10 pm on Sunday, but said it was quieter after that.
“It actually looked like a ghost town at night,” he said. “So, most people followed the instructions and stayed.”
The Mount. Juliet’s Police Department reported very limited traffic at night and early Monday, said Captain Tyler Chandler. Lebanon also reported little driver assistance and few accidents, the sergeant. PJ Hardy said.