Pacific Northwest - Website that reports icy roadways or black ice?

This morning's ice as a total surprise. The temperatures were 38F and still ice at odd places along a route. On the commute, the first two towns were frosty but not slippery. But the last 2 miles were very bad.

Then on the return ride, 36F (it never warmed up), OK until I arrived into my home town. Does anyone know of a WA website that shows a map or reports where the black ice is?

I've never heard of one, which doesn't mean there isn't one out there.

East Hill

I have owned a very small battery operated car thermometer that had instructions that indicated certain temps were most likely to form black ice and it beeped when in that temp range. I found it on line somewhere. I can't find the exact one.

I have owned a very small battery operated car thermometer that had instructions that indicated certain temps were most likely to form black ice and it beeped when in that temp range. I found it on line somewhere. I can't find the exact one.

Wow, that sounds like something that would be pretty cool to have. Any hints as to name or anything?

East Hill

Wow, that sounds like something that would be pretty cool to have. Any hints as to name or anything?

East Hill

The one I have is not on the web pages of the place that I bought it anymore.

This is very close, it's about the same size, but it is not the same. Google "Car thermometer ice alert" and you can see a few, but not exactly like mine. J.C.Whitney has a few variations.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Product/tf-Browse/s-10101/Pr-p_Product.CATENTRY_ID:2003253/p-2003253/N-111+10201+600002620/c-10101

Where have you got yours mounted? It looks as if it would fit under a seat stay or perhaps even tucked under the saddle, as long as the sensor is in the open air.

East Hill

Do you find that this thermometer is helpful?

I have an "ice" alert built into my car and all it really does is beep at me when the temperature is at 37 degrees (f). Given that normal wintertime temperatures here are in the mid to high 30's many days, that just means that my car typically beeps at me (once) every time I am on the road in the winter.

It seems to me after living here awhile and dealing w/black ice, the warning signs are:
- light precipitation overnight (mist/heavy fog/very light rain)
- morning temperature in the mid to high 30's.

I think a light breeze also helps it form.

My mental note was just to be alert to these conditions before setting off. Luckily there is a stretch of street three or four blocks from my house that is some kind of super black ice incubator...if it's icy there, I know to watch for it. If it's clear there, I know it will be clear (almost) everywhere. (so you're thinking, maybe I should run out every morning, check the street, and then post a "black ice" forecast for the rest of you each morning....hmm, maybe not).


Here's a good article:
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mblackice.html

I just check out the windshields of the cars around me. If they're icy, then I know to be a little more careful.

If it's actively raining, then black ice shouldn't be a problem. The water will wash it away. The only time I really consider the problem is when it's dry at while I'm riding, but obviously had been wet in the recent past.

Then again, I've thought of a new argument when I next try to convince my wife to let me but a 'bent. The seat is lower to the ground, so I won't hit it as hard :)

That was a wonderful article, although I'm wondering why some one who lives in Oakland CA doesn't know about black ice!

I remember plenty of black ice when I was growing up in San Jose...

East Hill

It's probably not detailed enough for you, but Washington DOT monitors roadway temperatures: http://wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/RoadTemps/

I used to have an adhesive-backed liquid crystal thermometer that you just stuck on to your rear view mirror. The numbers changed colors to show up according to the temperature. They have similar ones for use as fever thermometers that you just hold against the patient's forehead. I have been looking for such a thermometer that I could stick on my bike, but no luck. Of course, one could get any number of small thermometers to mount on your bike. It would be interesting, but like heart rate, cadence, altitude, road grade, etc., not essential.

Where have you got yours mounted? It looks as if it would fit under a seat stay or perhaps even tucked under the saddle, as long as the sensor is in the open air.

East Hill

Sorry, I have it mounted on the dashboard of my car.

I do have a thermometer that fits on all my bikes. Just a plain thermometer. Over the last decade it has made it easier for me to learn what to wear at what temperature before leaving the house.

Looks as if we will have to experiment, then!

poppadaddio, the WADOT is a good start, but I think you are correct in that it's not detailed enough. It looks as if we have to learn our own local 'black ice breeders' to get a heads up.

East Hill

Wow this is great! It doesn't have to be exact...I think pavement begins to freeze around 37 or 38F. Rather than waiting until you're right on top of the ice!


It's probably not detailed enough for you, but Washington DOT monitors roadway temperatures: http://wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/RoadTemps/

I thought this was interesting.

http://www.sensice.com/

Oh that's how they get the road values! I've never actually seen the sensors.

I thought this was interesting.

http://www.sensice.com/

Our car beeps at 39F.

My most immediate concern is generally temp right outside the house since I start out w/ a downhill that if the coffee and pedalling haven't circulated blood/caffeine to my brain by the end of the driveway I might not have noticed the black ice/freezing fog yet and it will send me flying (this is about the only 'type' of accident I've consistently repeated). If I can make it past that w/ no tumble I can generally become alert enough for the other danger spots on my route. A $10 radio shack remote thermometer works OK for that but has proven to not be too durable.

But more info would always be better...

Sorry--no.

I use past experience, though, as a guide. You could ride your route on a particularly cold day, on a weekend, and take the time to "map" in your brain where the problem spots are. Bring a thermos of hot chocolate to help you.

Basically, I use the idea that I've had trouble riding certain sections in the past at cooler temps, I'll more likely have problem later. And, be weary of the microhabitats. Trails with very smooth surface and far from water and that never see the sun are more likely on my route to be icy. However, sometimes the covered trails surprise me---they are insulated, and the wide-open areas although exposed to sun are also exposed to cold wind and not insulated and thus can be worse. Riding on deep moss (traction) is safer than surface algae/moss. Deeper puddles around Puget Sound are less likely to be frozen than shallow puddles; deeper puddles might has surface ice, but, less likely to be frozen through-out than shallow puddles---thus the deeper puddles are safer to ride through than the shiny dark smooth trail. For me, frost on the trail is fine---it's the shiny stuff that hurts. Someone else posted in another thread (unipro? forgive me if I quoted the wrong person) that riding on paint is hazardous. I hadn't experienced that one myself, it was nice of whoever reported it to share with the rest of us.

What would be very cool is to get a GPS that lets you take notes at coordinates (of your route). At various trouble-spots, record the problem areas and have the GPS make a warning sound when you approach the area as you ride. And, what would be very cool is to record an MP3 sound, "Danger Will Robinson. Danger. Danger", comes to mind. You might prefer something else.

:)