Spartanburg roads still covered in snow and ice, dangerous driving conditions expected

Spartanburg city crews plow Kennedy Street near Pine Street Monday morning. Most streets are still covered with snow and ice, officials said.
Spartanburg city crews plow Kennedy Street near Pine Street Monday morning. Most streets are still covered with snow and ice, officials said.

Most roads in the Spartanburg area were still snow and ice covered "and very dangerous" Monday morning following Sunday's winter storm, officials warned.

"With temps not rising above freezing, it will still take some time before they clear," Spartanburg County Emergency Management Director Doug Bryson said.

"Today is a holiday for many, so we still ask people to stay off the roads if at all possible. If they do venture out, use extreme caution. Slow down, allow extra time."

With Monday being the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, schools and many businesses were closed.

As inclement weather continues to make travel difficult, these offices will open at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the hospital system's public relations department:

Medical Group of the Carolinas practices, Gibbs Cancer Center, Bearden-Josey Center for Breast Health, SRHS - Outpatient Services at North Grove, PMC - Outpatient Services at Five Forks, PMC - Medical Office Building Outpatient Services.

All Spartanburg County Offices and the Judicial Center will open at noon Tuesday.

In-person court appearances Tuesday in circuit court and family court are canceled. All jury trials in magistrate court have been cancelled Tuesday and Wednesday.

The county landfill and recycling centers will open at noon Tuesday. The landfill will close at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, while the recycling centers will close at 5 p.m.

Under a sunny sky, Monday's high should reach 40 with some melting expected. But overnight lows into Tuesday morning will be near 20, creating dangerous black ice on roadways.

The National Weather Service warned of hazardous driving conditions through Tuesday morning due to some melting and refreezing at night, especially on some secondary or shaded roads.

Stay off roads: Bad road conditions greet Upstate drivers Monday as weather alerts warn drivers off roads

Sunday's winter storm dumped up to 5.5 inches of snow and sleet in the City of Spartanburg and similar amounts elsewhere, with some areas north of the city getting up to 8 inches. The overnight low was near 27.

Some snow and sleet totals reported through Sunday afternoon include Landrum, 8 inches; Chesnee, 6 inches; Moore, 5.5 inches; Duncan, 5.2 inches; Lyman, 4.5 inches; Wellford, 5 inches; and the City of Spartanburg, 4 to 5.5 inches.

More sunshine and a high of 42 is forecast for Tuesday, and an overnight low Tuesday into Wednesday will be around 24.

Spartanburg city crews plow Kennedy Street near Pine Street Monday morning. Most streets are still covered with snow and ice, officials said.
Spartanburg city crews plow Kennedy Street near Pine Street Monday morning. Most streets are still covered with snow and ice, officials said.

Jay Squires, the city's streets and stormwater manager, said crews spent Sunday clearing primary streets with snowplows to make them passable, including Union, Pine, Church and Main streets.

He said crews are focusing Monday on making secondary streets such as Kennedy Street passable, and will then go into neighborhoods to address those streets.

"Most of the neighborhood streets are not in good shape now," he said Monday morning. "It's still a winter wonderland out there."

The freezing rain that forecasters feared for Sunday's storm did not materialize, meaning fewer outages from any downed power lines for Duke Energy crews.

During the height of the storm Sunday, up to 1,800 customers were without power in the county. But power was quickly restored to most customers by Sunday afternoon.

Initially, four storm shelters in Spartanburg County were opened, but by Sunday afternoon all were closed after less-than-expected ice accumulation, no request for sheltering and fewer power outages.

Monday morning, the utility reported only two outages, one on Jordan Road near Lyman Lake, and one on Senn Road, near Lake Bowen. Power was expected to be restored to those residences by Monday afternoon.

Black ice expected: Black ice, icy roads are expected through Monday across Spartanburg County

The S.C. Highway Patrol reported few incidents Monday morning. At mid-morning, troopers were assisting a motorist at Interstate 85 southbound at exit 83.

Looking ahead to later this week, the forecast calls for a 40% chance of rain Thursday and a high near 47.

Snow covers tables along Main Street on Morgan Square in downtown Spartanburg Monday morning, January 17, 2022.
Snow covers tables along Main Street on Morgan Square in downtown Spartanburg Monday morning, January 17, 2022.

For Friday, there is a 30% chance of snow showers between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m., with a high near 34.

A mid-week cold front is expected to stall out south and east of the area, and a storm system will organize in the Midwest and Tennessee Valley by Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

One model showed rain for Friday. Another model shows a coastal low pressure system forming that could bring a round of wintry mix to the region, according to the Weather Service.

Contact Bob Montgomery at bob.montgomery@shj.com

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Spartanburg road conditions: Streets still covered in snow, ice