Freezing rain last night

[t walgamuth]

This year has been bad for having freezing rain. Most years you seldom get it but in the last month or so we have had it three or four times.

Last night I drove down to Indianapolis for the SCCA awards banquet, its about seventy miles one way. Luckily they ran the solo first but were running road racing and ralley too, so I skipped out at 830 thinking to be home by bedtime.

Out on the road I had damp roads until I got to the edge of the greater Indy area, but out there I noticed ice forming on the windshield. There was a strong wind from the west and the car was moving around a bit more than I thought it should, so I slowed to about 55. I suspected that I was encountering some slick areas on a basically damp pavement.

About twenty miles north of Indy old us 52 splits from I-65 and offers lightly traveled four lanes all the way to lafayette. After a little while I noticed the car seemed a little loose in its traction and I noticed a car off the road, so I decided to test the traction by putting on the brakes gently. I was driving my 95 chebby tow wagon, my new favorite snow vehicle. The ABS activated immediately.

It turned out I was on pure ice and it simply looked like damp pavement. I drove the rest of the way home at 45, passing everything except one brave Chrysler front driver (FOOL! ). I passed a couple of semis who undoubtably got off the interstate too because of the ice. They were going like 20. I slowed down a lot as to not be going too fast incase they jacknifed in front of me.

About five miles south of Lafayette the roads suddnely were comprehensively sanded and fine.

When I stopped at the station on the edge of town I found a bumpy layer of ice on everything only about 1/16" thick. It just looked about like orange peel on a Maaco paint jot. (worse actually).

A little more excitement than I really wanted.