Early Tuesday, the University of Michigan Division of Public Safety and Security released a winter weather advisory for freezing rain, expected from around 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday. The freezing rain is expected to spread into Southeast Michigan late Tuesday night, but may shift from freezing to normal rain sometime Wednesday afternoon. However, there are warnings about especially hazardous and slick travel conditions.
According to the National Weather Service, freezing rain is liquid precipitation that freezes on contact with cold surfaces with cold surfaces within a small range of temperatures at or below 32 degrees. Often, a coating of ice is created on roads, walkways, trees and powerlines and has the potential to be dangerous.
DPSS spokeswoman Melissa Overton offered safety tips for handling the potentially hazardous temperatures. Recommendations include wearing shoes or boots with non-slip rubber soles, walking slowly with short steps and traveling along grassy edges for more traction.