Road conditions in Nashville, Middle TN: Frigid temperatures, hazardous travel persist Friday

Icy roads and hazardous conditions will continue Friday after snow blanketed Middle Tennessee on Thursday and caused multiple wrecks and traffic back-ups.

The National Weather Service said up to 8-9 inches accumulated in the northern half of Middle Tennessee, including Nashville and Clarksville, while other areas saw 3-6 inches. The extreme southern part of the region saw less than an inch of accumulation after a wintry mix fell. 

"The roads are icy and treacherous," NWS Nashville tweeted Friday morning. "If you don't have to travel today, don't. If you do, take it very slow and leave yourself puh-lenty of stopping distance. The sun will come out for some today, but not all, so roads won't improve much with temps below freezing all day."

WEATHER UPDATES:'Frigid' temperatures Friday after up to 9 inches of snow fell Thursday

SNOW TOTALS:How much snow did Nashville and Middle Tennessee get Thursday? Here's a look at the totals

Officials urged people to stay home and stay off the roads Friday, if possible. If you must drive, use extreme caution, slow down and give yourself extra time. Keep in mind that elevated surfaces like bridges often freeze before other areas. 

"Nashville, while emergency crews and ... trucks continue to work hard to treat and clear roads, many areas across the city are quite slick," Nashville Mayor John Cooper posted on Twitter Wednesday. "Such weather conditions are not ideal for travel. Please be safe and careful, and stay home if you can."

How to check road closures, snow routes 

You can follow @myTDOT on Facebook and Twitter for urgent traffic information. Call 511 for the road conditions in your areas.

You can also use the Tennessee Department of Transportation's SmartWay map to view real time traffic conditions by clicking on "traffic cameras" from the drop down feature menu at the top right.

You can see current traffic accidents in Nashville online here. The Metro Nashville Police Department was also posting traffic updates on its Twitter page. 

WeGo has canceled or limited some regional bus service routes in Nashville. Information about WeGo snow detours can be found here.

Nashville Public Works' snow clearance routes can be found online here. Check which streets are on the list and their order of priority.

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office was posting traffic updates on its Facebook page.

The Mt. Juliet Police Department was also posting traffic updates on its Twitter page. 

SCHOOL CLOSURES:Middle TN schools cancel Friday, including Williamson, MNPS

Thursday storm leads to wrecks, clogged roads

Crashes clogged many roads during an already slow morning commute after snow began falling around 7 a.m. Thursday, leading officials across the region to urge drivers to use extra caution or avoid driving altogether. 

At least five people were taken to the hospital after a crash involving a fire truck, a city bus and another vehicle Thursday morning.

The three-vehicle wreck took place on Jefferson Street near Third Avenue North in Germantown. 

The Tennessee Highway Patrol was working to clear a nine-vehicle wreck on Interstate 65 and Old Hickory Boulevard as 1 p.m. Thursday. 

In Clarksville, one person was killed in crash on Interstate 24 Thursday morning.

Natalie Neysa Alund is based in Nashville at The Tennessean and covers breaking news across the South for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at nalund@tennessean.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.