TIFTON, GA – It appears winter has finally arrived in Southwest Georgia so the Georgia Department of Transportation reminds home and business owners to turn off automatic sprinkler systems when the temperature dips to prevent a potential road hazard.

The National Weather Service says our area will have a light freeze tonight, the last expected for this week. However, Southwest Georgia will be seeing more winter weather.

“Sprinkler systems that are left on overnight in freezing temperatures can create a hazardous condition for motorists the next morning,” GDOT Southwest Georgia District Engineer Chad Hartley said. “Spray from the sprinkler is blown onto the road or water drains onto the road and creates ice, which can cause accidents.”

GDOT also reminds drivers to be on the lookout for icy patches or black ice on the road, especially early in the morning, following sub-freezing temperatures.

Black ice is a thin, often invisible sheet of ice that forms on the roadway, especially on bridges and overpasses and low lying areas. It can form at any time when temperatures drop below freezing and there is any form of moisture from sprinklers, run-off or precipitation on the roadway.

Georgia Department of Transportation