Freezing Rain, Wet Roads Create Driving Hazards

DETROIT (AP) — Freezing rain left roadways across parts of the state slick Saturday, causing dozens of vehicles to crash or slip into ditches.

The thin coating of ice that greeted many motorists in southeast Michigan in the morning gave way to wet pavement as the temperature rose to freezing by mid-afternoon.

"It's going up. We're expecting temperatures to rise to the mid-30s," National Weather Service meteorologist Rachel Kulik told The Associated Press. "You have to be more cautious when you are out there driving. You can hit a slick spot."

A hazardous weather outlook calling for freezing drizzle, light icing and some snow was issued Saturday for parts of the Upper Peninsula.

Huron Valley Ambulance reported 32 accidents between 5 and 9 a.m. in Washtenaw County, west of Detroit.

A number of wrecks also were reported in the Flint area and around Genesee County.

Flint deployed road crews Saturday to lay down salt on major roads to control snow and ice, a city spokesman said in a release.

More rain is expected Sunday morning in the Detroit area before turning to snow as the temperature drops. Still, not much will stick to the ground — at least in the southern portion of the state, Kulik said.

So far this winter, just over 4 inches of snow has fallen on the Detroit area and only one-tenth of an inch since Dec. 1. At the same time last year, 27.5 inches of snow had fallen, Kulik said.

About 4 inches of snow is expected Sunday in the Traverse City area in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula, according to the weather service.

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