Cape Fear Memorial Bridge back open; winter weather creates icy conditions

The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge in Wilmington is back open. It was shut down Saturday evening as crews cleared wrecks affecting as many as ten cars.

The problems stemmed from a winter storm that wreaked havoc on the Carolinas with snow sleet and freezing rain. Here in Wilmington, the main problems were icy roads.

Freezing rain was reported earlier Saturday in Pender, Bladen and Columbus Counties. This left layers of ice on homes, cars, and roadways. Closer to the coast precipitation fell mainly as rain, although temperatures that fell below freezing Saturday evening allowed that water to freeze, creating dangerous conditions on roadways.

Sunshine during the day on Sunday will help to melt any leftover ice across the area, even though highs will struggle to reach the upper 30s during the afternoon. For a full update on the weather, visit our online weather center at http:wway.wcbi.com/weather.