MIDLAND, Texas — Early in the day, road conditions weren't that bad, but as the sun went down, conditions quickly changed.
Wet roads turn into icy roads, and that's why TxDOT will continue to de-ice roadways throughout the night and early morning.
When it comes to safety, prevention is key.
That's why TxDOT got to work before the winter weather made its way into West Texas.
"We started by pre-treating on Monday in which we used a brine in an effort to prevent ice from building up. Once the ice starts to build up, we use a material called meltdown 20 which basically is magnesium chloride and we spread that on overpasses and bridges to help break up the ice," Gene Powell, the Odessa District Public Information Officer of TxDOT, said.
Getting ahead of the storm is good, but TxDOT still urges drivers to be careful behind the wheel.
"We can’t treat every intersection, every road so people just need to slow down. They need to put more cushion between themselves and other vehicles. Then, they need to protect themselves, their property. We don’t need anybody hurt, we don’t need anybody killed, we don’t want crashes, but it really is driver behavior that’s the key," Powell said.
These are the roads that TxDOT plans to work on the most:
"Our tier-one roads, our main primary roads would be the interstate I-10 and I-20. Between Midland and Odessa of course, we focus on 191, loop 250, loop 338. In other counties like Andrews, we work on 385, 176, and 115. Then it just kind of depends on what the primary road is in a particular county," Powell said.
No matter what route you take, Powell said to drive to the conditions, not the speed limit.
"Our best advice is to drive as if nothing has been treated. Speed limits are for optimal driving conditions, they’re not for wet, they’re not for ice, or not for snow. People really need to drive to the conditions and slow way down," Powell said.