Mississippi Warns Of 'Extreme Icing' On Interstate

Mississippi officials are asking big trucks to stay off the key cross-country route of Interstate 10 until late Saturday morning, citing the possibility of "extreme icing."

The Mississippi Department of Transportation said Friday afternoon that ice has been seen on roads or bridges in 25 south Mississippi counties. A hard freeze is expected overnight across the state, and roads still wet from snow, sleet and rain are expected to ice over. Unusually heavy snow has fallen across most of the southern half of the state, except for some coastal areas.

Mississippi has few snowplows, and officials say they're using graders and backhoes to remove as much snow as they can from roads and bridges. Crews will place salt and slag on slushy roads.

Travelers can check road conditions at www.MDOTtraffic.com or by calling 511 inside the state.

AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis