Missouri Emergency Management Warns of Treacherous Black Ice

The most dangerous time to be driving in Missouri is perhaps right now. Most understand that during a winter storm, you need to be cautious in your travel, but there's a new warning even after the storm is done about treacherous black ice around the state.

I saw this alert just shared by the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency on their Facebook/Meta page. It's a warning about reports of black ice on many roadways.

Add this element of danger to the ice we already know about as the National Weather Service in Springfield, Missouri shared ice totals for the southern half of the state with many places receiving more than a half inch of the slick nasty stuff.

How can you tell if the Missouri roadway you're on has black ice?

Here are some tips from the National Forest Service. Black ice commonly forms in the early morning hours and early evening. While black ice tends to look like regular highway, areas that seem slightly darker than others are candidates for the presence of black ice.

Bridges and overpasses are the most common places where black ice forms due to the cold air under the roadway and moisture on top. During the winter time, I always assume the Missouri road I'm on has black ice and drive accordingly. If it doesn't, then no one gets hurt anyway.

Better safe than sorry as many serious accidents happen when a driver hits an unexpected patch of slick roadway and overcompensates in response. Know that in Missouri right now that black ice is very much a clear and present danger - literally.