HOUSTON – Tuesday was the first day back to work since the holidays for many people. They were greeted with not only bitter cold but also sleet.
All those people returning to work meant a return to a more normal rush hour. Thousands of cars were on the streets as pockets of sleet moved through the Houston area. The icy pellets accumulated on grass and elevated surfaces, such as bridges and overpasses.
PHOTOS: Sleet falls in parts of Houston area
Sky 2 flew over the scene of accidents on either side of the Gulf Freeway in Clear Lake, which prompted police to close part of the highway.
Webster police said they shut down part of NASA Parkway at Interstate 45 because of slick spots.
Pamela Jhonson, one of those commuters, said she was none too pleased with the conditions.
“I don’t like it,” Jhonson said, with a bit of a chuckle as she waited to catch the train downtown. “I don’t like it.”
Caravans of trucks could be seen traversing roads in the area, trying to keep the roads from icing.
Workers who spend much of their day outdoors said they were using whatever they could to shield themselves from the freezing cold.
“I wear a lot of layers,” said delivery person Christine Nespor.
With sleet falling, city workers spent the morning in the bone-chilling cold covering plants before another night of even colder weather.
"You can't do (anything) about the weather," said Sterling Broussard, a city worker. "Yeah. It's cold out. The ice is coming down, but we still have to be out here."
VIDEO: Hard freeze warning issued
Another round of sleet and flurries is possible Tuesday, along with the lowest temperatures of the season, thus far. Temperatures will plummet into the lower 20s in and around Houston and into the upper teens north of the city.
The National Weather Service issued a hard freeze warning for most of Southeast Texas until 9 a.m. Wednesday.
More seasonable weather is expected by the weekend.