HOUSTON – After hours of being stranded indoors because of winter weather, Houston-area drivers took advantage of a brief, slightly warmer window of opportunity to get on the roadways without fear of ice.
"I just got out right now after it kind of got a little warmer and everything," said Houston Baptist University student, Alex Fountain. "Our school was closed. So I just stayed mostly on campus until it got a little safer."
And after the short bout of cabin fever others hit the road in their cars in order to hit the trails with their feet. Memorial Park had a sizable crowd of hearty runners.
"I use jogging as destressing," said Carlos Hernandez. "You know, the stress isn't going to go away no matter how cold or hot it is outside."
Arianne Loeber has a similar perspective.
"It wasn't too bad, but I'm from the Northeast where snow is nothing," said Loeber. "But down here when you're not used to it and you acclimate to this weather it's a big deal."
It will be a big deal again overnight when temperatures are expected to drop below freezing. That means any water that melted on bridges, overpasses, and other roadways will easily re-freeze. That could lead to more treacherous driving and accidents like we saw on Friday.
"You have to keep more focused," said Alex Fountain. "You can't be worried about your phone or stuff like that. You just gotta stay focused the entire time."