UPDATE: I-81 Open After Icy Morning Drive; More Snow Possible
Photo submitted by: Trieva Whitson, Johnson City, TN
Easter and spring decorations got a dusting of snow in Johnson City early Tuesday morning.
UPDATE at 9:22:
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All lanes of Interstate 81 are open.
UPDATE at 8:09 a.m.
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Around 7:20 a.m., reports of icy roads began to flood some local police dispatch offices.
Here’s an update:
Interstate 81 between Exits 1 and 5 is closed because of ice and wrecks.
Interstate 26 at the Unicoi exit is treacherous with numerous cars off the road.
Bridges and overpasses on I-26 in Johnson City are slick.
I-381 ramp linking State of Franklin Road and Highway 11-E in Johnson City is closed because of ice.
Devault Bridge is very slick.
All lanes of Interstate 26 over Sam’s Gap are open.
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A springtime blast of wintery weather made for treacherous travel early today in the Tri-Cities Region.
Here’s a quick check of trouble spots according to early updates from emergency dispatchers.
TENNESSEE
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I-26 over Sam’s Gap - 1 lane open in both directions with TDOT laying salt
Slick spots in the mountains of Johnson, Carter, and Greene Counties
VIRGINIA
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Slick spots with snow and black ice on Interstate 81 in Washington and Smyth Counties
Extremely slick roads in Konnarock
Slick bridges and overpasses in Abingdon, Virginia
VDOT crews sent out overnight to lay salt
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Reader Reactions
Your Grandma was right! My Grandma told me the same thing. But, some people say we have a May 10th cold spell.
Too, ole timers used to say that if thundered in February, it would frost in May. Well, we did have thunder in February.
Well, this is Spring and we still have a few more cold spurts to go through before warm weather comes in to stay.
My grandma says we will have a dogwood winter and a blackberry winter before it’s all over with. The 10th of May is the day when it all will go away ![]()
That’s what my grandma always says anyways.


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