How These Frigid Temps Make Black Ice Even Without Rain Or Snow
I was driving to work earlier this week on a particularly cold morning. My truck's dashboard said 17F, and the windchill was more like -30. I take the bridge over the St. Louis River each morning on my way to work, and they usually do a good job of keeping it cleared and sanded. This time was different, and it almost got me in a wreck.
I approached the bridge and started accelerating up the roadway. It hadn't snowed, there was no snow melting, and there wasn't even any frost visible on the ground or anywhere. So, I naturally wasn't concerned if it was slippery.
About halfway up the bridge, the rear end of my truck started to fishtail. My traction control kicked in, and I was able to recover. A little further up, an SUV had spun out and hit the guardrail. How is this so slippery?
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For internal combustion engines (gas or diesel vehicles), the exhaust creates tiny droplets of water. Vehicles going up an incline, like on a bridge, are working harder and putting out more exhaust. When it's sub-zero, those tiny droplets freeze quickly on the roadway and can create black ice quickly.
Add that to the fact that your tires are stiff and cold, and you've got a recipe for spinouts.
How do you avoid it? There really isn't anything you can do except know it can be there on cold days and slow down. Make sure your tires are in good shape and properly inflated, and buckle up. Sometimes you just get caught off guard.
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Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli