The county and cities were scrambling to get sand on overpasses layered with ice.

Radio chatter got heavier just before 10 a.m. with drivers calling in wrecks all over the Killeen area, closely followed by Belton and Temple.

Dispatchers worked hard to figure out which accidents were where.

Calls worked their way east on state Highway 190 toward Interstate 35.

Belton responded to about six accidents before it was Temple’s turn.

Sgt. Brad Hunt, Temple Police Department public information officer, released reports mid-morning to media outlets in hopes they would make lunchtime news bulletins.

Among the closures were both northbound and southbound lanes of I-35, the overpass at I-35 and HK Dodgen Loop, overpasses on Central Avenue over I-35 and and South Third Street overpass at Avenue B.

In all, Temple reported about 15 traffic accidents.

In Killeen, the calls actually started as early as 8 a.m. with reports of accidents at U.S. 190, Willow Springs Road, Fort Hood Road and W.S. Young Drive.

Less than two hours later, law enforcement officials found themselves calling for backup in the form of gravel and sand trucks from the city’s streets department.

“We weren’t sure if this was going to happen last night, so we had trucks prepped and ready to go,” said John Koester, director of street services for the city of Killeen. “Really, you just have to wait until you see what happens. It’s really reactive.”

Only the bridge at North W.S. Young Drive, just south of the Killeen Independent School District Administrative offices, had to be closed because of the icy conditions.

“It’s so long that even if you put stuff on it, it’s still too dangerous, so we closed it,” Koester said.

Much of the action, at least for law enforcement officers, was focused on U.S. 190.

“We worked 10 to 15 accidents within an hour,” said Killeen Police spokeswoman Carroll Smith. “We are asking anybody who does not have to be out on the roads, not to be there.”

There were a number of rollover accidents and an even greater number of fender benders around the city, but there were no serious injuries reported, Smith said.

“We were pretty fortunate on that,” she said.

Bell County removed its dump trucks from the roadways as a precaution against accidents.

“We’ve got the drivers doing other stuff at the yard,” said Richard Macchi, county engineer.

As reports started to file in about roadways becoming treacherous, Macchi said he dispatched crews to the bridges in the county that in the past have been most susceptible to freezing.

On I-35 and U.S. 190 in Belton at least seven accidents happened within an hour. At 10:50 a.m. Police Chief Jen Wesley issued an advisory encouraging the public to avoid driving the roadways if possible.

Hunt of Temple had suggestions for drivers on icy roads: “If you are on an overpass or see one coming you need to slow way down before you get on the overpass. Once on the overpass, don’t hit your brakes if you don’t have to. Slowly go across them and try not to make big steering inputs. Stay off of the brakes as much as you can.”

Of course, Hunt said, the best thing is stay off the roads unless you absolutely have to be on them.

Staff at the Quix on 31st Street near Canyon Creek Drive in Temple said that business slowed down as soon as the icy storms hit.

Mannie Delaw, who lives on Canyon Creek Drive, said it was unusual to see the ice hit this early in the year.

“I noticed some cars taking extra care on the curves in the road,” Delaw said. “In some parts it was quite icy. You could see them slide just a little.”

Delaw walks her dogs daily and noticed the gutter areas were icier than usual. “Normally I walk in the gutter and the dog walks on the grass. Today we were both on the grass because I was scared I would fall,” she said.

Tuesday started with a low of 27 degrees and only “warmed” to 34, but temperatures will slowing climb during the week before plummeting 32 on the weekend.

Fog crept into the area on Tuesday night and will be around in the early hours today before temperatures reach the low 50s, Andy Andersen, KCEN-TV chief meteorologist said.

“By Thursday we should be in the 60s, Thursday in the 70s, which will continue until the weekend,” Andersen said. “By Saturday night or Sunday morning we will be back below freezing.”

Saturday will bring high winds with a maximum sustained 28 mph and maximum gusts of 40 mph.