Rare black ice forms on Tampa toll road

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Black ice is not a term used often in Tampa Bay. But the Florida Highway Patrol says ice formed on the Veterans Expressway just south of Hutchison Road this morning, and troopers have shut down the left southbound lane. 

Black ice is also sometimes called clear ice, which is a thin coating of glaze ice on a surface, including roads, creating dangerous driving conditions since the hazard is difficult to see. The name was created since it blends in with its surroundings.

Of course, ice forms when the air is at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature in Tampa reached 29 degrees for the first time in seven years. The National Weather Service says something "unusual" must have occurred for this patch of black ice to form since it is "very dry out." The ice formation was caused either by a water truck leak or a construction crew sprayed it on the roads. 

While inspecting the ice before dusk, a construction worker slipped on the ice, but quickly got back on his feet. The view from SkyFOX shows traffic delays for a few miles as drivers slowly proceeded past the ice.

All southbound lanes were shut down for a short time as construction workers scraped ice and placed sand over it. Lanes reopened almost three hours later by 9 a.m.