Icy weather closes schools, grounds transportation in Nashville
Dozens of school systems are closed, flights have been grounded and public transportation routes canceled.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Icy weather is taking hold across Middle Tennessee, and residents are waking up to a handful of problems on Wednesday morning.
ROADS
Wednesday morning commuters were in for slow drives as road conditions were icy all around Nashville.
Hendersonville drivers were treated to a backup early this morning because of a crash on Highway 386/Vietnam Veterans Blvd. near the Center Point Road exit ramp. Police and cleanup crews had the highway closed for several hours until one lane was opened around 5 a.m.
Over in Robertson County, a tractor-trailer flipped on its side on I-24 near the Maxey Road exit ramp in Pleasant View late Tuesday night and cleanup crews have both sides of the interstate closed on Wednesday morning for the extraction. Traffic was backed up as far west as Clarksville and east to Highway 49 in Pleasant View.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol had to close I-40 East in Humphreys County for a large crash involving multiple vehicles early Wednesday morning. The crash occurred just after 2 a.m. and traffic was backed up from Highway 13 to exit 133.
Meanwhile, down in Marshall County, a tractor-trailer hauling tires caught fire around 4:30 a.m. while traveling south on I-65, forcing police to close all lanes.
SCHOOLS
A good number of schools and school districts across the state made the move to close their doors.
Metro Nashville Public Schools, Wilson County Schools, Williamson County Schools, Rutherford County Schools, Putnam County Schools, Maury County Schools, and Sumner County Schools have closed for Wednesday due to the weather. Here’s a full list of schools closed on Wednesday.
FLIGHTS
Dozens of flights in and out of Nashville International Airport were either delayed or canceled, particularly the early morning flights on Wednesday.
All BNA flight statuses can be found tracked here.
WEGO
The icy conditions have also forced WeGo to temporarily suspend several routes along the Gray Line on Wednesday.
The public transit company announced that routes, 87 (Gallatin/Hendersonville), 88 (Dickson), 89 (Springfield/Joelton), 94 (Clarksville), and 95 (Spring Hill/Franklin) will not operate all day. Their regional routes 84 (Murfreesboro) and 86 (Smyrna/La Vergne) will operate their regular schedules.
For updates on WeGo routes during winter weather, visit their website here.
POWER OUTAGES
As is the case with any extreme weather system, Nashville Electric Service (NES) said they have been closely monitoring this cold spike and have crews ready to respond to any outages.
Nearly 500 customers were without power between Ashland City and the Whites Bend area around 5:30 a.m. NES reported the outage is due to a tree that fell on power lines on Dry Creek Road, cutting power to the surrounding areas.
NES recommends customers be prepared for any impending weather by:
- Charging all personal electronics, including cellphones and portable batteries/power banks.
- Assembling or double-checking their emergency kits, which should include non-perishable food, water, blankets, prescription medicines, and flashlights with fresh batteries.
- Establishing a backup plan in the event of extended outages.
- Encouraging friends and loved ones to do the same.
The NES outage map can be found here.
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