CRESTVIEW — Road conditions were so severe in the Crestview area Wednesday that county and local law enforcement officers shut down the city's main north-south artery.
Before police closed State Road 85 for several hours, some motorists ignored officials' pleas to remain off the roads. Crestview Police Department spokesman Lt. Andrew Schneider reported "wrecks everywhere," even after S.R. 85 was closed to traffic.
Crestview National Weather Service reporting station operator Chayne Sparagowski said temperatures were not predicted to rise above freezing Wednesday.
"If it melts today, it'll refreeze tonight," he said.
Sparagowski shared a Mobile NWS Facebook post reminding motorists, "The ice will likely be worse by this evening! Black ice will form everywhere the ice melted today."
By 1:15 p.m. police had reopened S.R. 85 but urged caution, particularly around the hilly sections south of Interstate 10. Black ice remained on the edges of the highway in many areas.
"It's still a little rough in some places," Schneider said. "If you have to be out, just take it slow."
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Wintry conditions force S.R. 85 shutdown for several hours