Nolan County impassable

According the KTAB/KRBC out of Abilene, traffic has been gridlocked on I-20 in Nolan County for several hours. Travel to the east from Mitchell County is highly discouraged.

According to DriveTexas.org, there are no closures in Mitchell County as of 10:45 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 3.

The Sweetwater Police Department posted an update to social media around 9:30 a.m., showing pictures of the traffic, saying, “our officers are working with other first responders to get things moving as soon as we can.”

Later, Sweetwater PD released the following statement about the traffic delays:

Due to the severe winter weather in the area, Interstate 20 is not moving in either direction. Road conditions throughout the jurisdiction of the Sweetwater Police Department are hazardous.Semi-trucks are having to come off of the Interstate to find lodging, food, and fuel. This is causing them to be stuck on the service roads and parking lots. There is very little traffic flowing on Highways 70 as the road conditions are not improving. First responders are having to slowdown to navigate stuck vehicles and assist them in arriving at their destination.Temperatures are not expected to get above freezing before Saturday. Road conditions will likely remain hazardous throughout today and into tomorrow.

Around 5:00 a.m., the Slaton Police Department gave an update on the condition of I-20 in Nolan County, saying that it had been at a standstill for five hours at that point.

Please avoid travel if at all possible, but if you must get out follow these tips...

Give yourself time to reach your destination and account for possible travel delays. Have patience and share the road with other drivers.

Drive with caution, reduce speed and increase travel distance between your vehicle and others on the road (at least three times the normal following distance).

Do not use cruise control.

If you start to lose control, ease off the gas pedals or brakes. Steer into the direction of a skid until you can regain traction, and then straighten your vehicle.

And if you don’t have to travel, stay home. TxDOT roadway conditions statewide are available at DriveTexas.org or by calling 1-800-452-9292. TxDOT Twitter feeds and the TxDOT Facebook page are also valuable resources for travel conditions across the state. More winter weather travel information is available on the TxDOT website.