Cold eases its grip; snow glazes highways

A pickup pulling a recreational vehicle ends up sideways blocking icy southbound lanes of I-75 at Phillips Avenue Saturday.

A warm spell it wasn't, but even as temperatures climbed into the low double digits, light snow covered roads and contributed to slide-offs, spinouts, and slide-into accidents across northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.

No serious injuries were reported.

Toledo police were called to several crashes along northbound and southbound I-75 beginning about 1:40 p.m. and continuing through early evening.

About 2:15 p.m., police were on the scene of a five-vehicle pile-up on southbound I-75 at Phillips Avenue. A pickup truck pulling a camper jackknifed. Police said a tractor-trailer and two sport utility vehicles were involved too.

The crash snarled traffic, effectively closing down the interstate for a time.

With southerly winds gusting upward of 20 mph, snow drifted across some east-west thoroughfares, especially outlying roads.

After an overnight low of minus 14 at 2:15 a.m. at Toledo Express Airport, the daytime high at 4:59 p.m. was 20. The National Weather Service said that 1.2 inches of snow had fallen at the airport by 5 p.m.

Heavier snow fell in the Detroit area, with observers in some northern suburbs reporting four inches by 6 last night.

In northwest Ohio, light snow began again in early evening, and forecasters predicted another inch or two possible overnight. Snow could continue this morning, with another half-inch possible.

Today will warm to 24, according to the weather service office in Cleveland.

By Wednesday, the high could be a partly sunny 30, forecasters said.