Snow Blog January 16: Roads remain hazardous

1:00 p.m. (IMAGE: TDOT)

– Traffic is diverted in the Rock Springs area of Interstate 26 due to hazardous conditions. A portion of Rock Springs Road is also closed to traffic due to collapsed power lines.

– Kingsport police are advising residents to expect longer response times for emergency crews and other first responders due to road conditions and the volume of assistance calls being received.

– Temperatures will not climb out of the teens according to the National Weather Service forecast for Wednesday. An arctic blast will push wind chill levels into below zero territory, with some localities posting a -13 reading. Another snow system is in future weather models, arriving Thursday evening into Friday. Morristown agency reports say northern parts of East Tennessee could see more than an inch of snow or a mix of freezing rain.

– Only one lane of Interstate 81 southbound is open in the Interchange / Tri Cities Crossings area of Kingsport due to crashes. The traffic jam extends from the Fall Branch exit to mile marker 55 near Colonial Heights.