Most of the Rochester area managed a 2 to 3-inch accumulation of snowfall for this Tuesday morning.  Not a great deal of snow, but it does not take much of the “white stuff” to make the roadways slippery — especially during a morning commute.  One of our greatest concerns is the bridges and overpasses because if these thoroughfares are untreated, they can freeze before other area roads. But why does this happen?

Obviously the necessary ingredient is very cold air. And this below-freezing air then flows beneath a bridge, creating a scenario where that portion of the road will lose its heat at a much faster rate than the surrounding roads.  A standard roadway is, to a certain extent, insulated by the surrounding ground. So the loss of heat will still happen, but at a much slower rate. Unfortunately,  if the timing is right, a quick freeze can surprise area drivers. 

So even if you play it safe while driving this season, there is nothing like a fresh snowfall to liven up the holidays. I can guarantee you the folks down at Bristol Mountain Ski Resort are happy by what they saw this morning. Looking ahead, our winter enthusiasts are probably not too pleased with the weather forecast, as warmer weather is set to return during the upcoming holiday.