Icy Roads Trigger More Than 35 Crashes Across Grand Traverse County

Around 35 crashes, slide-offs and vehicles stuck on hills flooded Grand Traverse 911 dispatch in a span of two and a half hours Monday morning as a blanket of ice locked down roads across the county.

Grand Traverse 911 dispatch logged the surge of traffic-related incidents between 6:30 and 9:00 a.m., with county road crews working to treat roads even as new calls kept coming in. At one point, officials reported the entire county had iced over, with emergency responders managing a sustained wave of calls throughout the morning rush.

Conditions gradually improved, and dispatch reported most roadways were clear by later in the morning. Several slippery spots remained, however, keeping drivers on edge well after the worst of the rush had passed.

Drivers were urged to use caution, especially on hills and at intersections, and to plan for a longer commute. Warnings also extended to untreated roads, where conditions remained the most unpredictable.

With temperatures sitting at 25 degrees and a light wintry mix in the forecast for Tuesday, another round of hazardous travel conditions is possible before the week warms into the low 50s by Wednesday.