Snow day

It didn’t come down in heavy flakes, but heavy flurries left Odessa under a thin blanket of snow early Friday morning that caused school cancellations and other postponements.

An inch of snow was measured at Midland-Odessa International Airport while other areas saw up to three or four inches.

The dangerous conditions aren’t done yet. Despite the sunshine melting the snow Friday afternoon, all the water was expected to freeze overnight.

"Things will likely re-freeze tonight, especially bridges and overpasses," National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Platt said Friday. "When the sun goes down … you are gonna (see) things freeze."

Temperatures in the Midland-Odessa area stayed below freezing throughout the day Friday and were expected to drop even lower overnight making driving conditions dangerous up until noon today.

"I would wager things will improve late Saturday, early Sunday," Platt said.

Until then, the Odessa Police Department is advising everyone to only drive if they need to in the harsh conditions. Friday morning saw relatively few accidents, but there were many incidents of people losing control of their vehicles as they drove on the snow and ice.

"We had a lot of people that slid and spin out," Cpl. Sherrie Carruth of the Odessa Police Department said. "Around this area, people thankfully slowed down."

The best thing to do in this type of weather, Carruth said, is to slow down. Snow can be very dangerous to drive in, but having ice underneath can increase the hazardous conditions.

"People have to give themselves enough (room to stop)," Carruth said.

However, it wasn’t all bad.

Odessa students from kindergarten to grad school were given the day off and a three-day weekend when the ECISD, Odessa College and the University of Texas of the Permian Basin canceled classes.

Jonathan Priddy, Brian Dauteuil, Katrina Lara and Morgan Lindner usually meet at the bus stop early in the morning to go to school, but instead they spent the day having fun at their apartment complex and Music City Mall.

"We’ve been snowballing," said Lara, an eighth-grader at Bonham Junior High.

The group spent time walking around the mall and even though it wasn’t cold enough to do it outside, they strapped on their ice skates and took advantage of the MCM Ice Rink.

Priddy, who usually rollerblades, was taking his first trip skating on ice.

"I’m actually pretty good," the Permian High junior said.

Fun wasn’t stopping on the ice. Next on the agenda was a trip to the cinema.

"We’re gonna try to see that new movie ‘New Moon’," Priddy said.

Some city and county offices also closed or opened later in the day.

Because of the closings, events at UTPB, OC and Odessa City Hall were also canceled. OC will have today’s scheduled SAT tests.

Drivers are also asked to be extra cautious and stay away from underpasses where ice builds up.

According to Mark Cox, a driving instructor at Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colo., the kind of car you have depends on what you should do if you lose control.

Drivers with cars that don’t have ABS breaks should tap the pedal to regain control of the car. Drivers with ABS breaks can hold the pedal.

"You put your foot down as hard as you can," Cox said.

The held pedal mechanically pumps each break.

"It allows you to break and steer," Cox said.

Situations like skidding take a little quicker thinking.

"First you have to decide what kind of skid you have," Cox said.

Believe it or not, Cox said there are both front and rear skids.

The best thing to do is "look where you want the car to go and point the wheels while gently accelerating."

"Any time you accelerate," he said. "It creates a weight transfer throughout the vehicle."

CANCELLATIONS

>> Santa Claus skipped out on Starbright Village Friday, but he will be there between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. today.

>> OC canceled classes, but the SAT tests scheduled today at OC were still on as of press time Friday. OC also nixed the President's Reception and OC Choir & Vocal Ensemble Concert Friday.

>> The city opened late, but the Christmas parade was still planned as scheduled as of Friday. The City Hall Employee Memorial dedication was postponed.

>> ECISD and UTPB classes were canceled.

>> All ECISD athletics and fine arts events were scrapped.