A Treacherous Drive Back to Austin

After spending the weekend in DFW, it was time to head back to Austin. Prior to leaving, I checked the weather. It looked pretty nasty. The Northeast was getting slammed with Winter Storm Mateo, and there was a bunch of ice in our area. Ironically, one of my favorite salsas is called Mateo's. I found it ironic because some of the flavors can pack a bunch of heat. A winter storm is the opposite of that!

Weather app screenshot showing 26°F with 40% chance of snow showers in Plano, Texas, with map of Dallas area and wind indicator Living room interior with flat-screen TV mounted above fireplace, flanked by windows with sheer curtains, and dark furniture TV screen displaying Winter Storm Mateo weather forecast with meteorologist in orange dress showing hourly temperature and precipitation predictions

We topped off with gas and then hit the road. It was cloudy, and there were winter weather advisories out. We knew we'd run into some bad road conditions.

View from gas station pump toward QuikTrip convenience store with red signage, vehicles parked under covered area Mobile phone screenshot of Winter Weather Advisory alert from National Weather Service Fort Worth, listing affected North Texas counties including Denton, Collin, and surrounding areas Dashboard view of empty rural road with ominous dark storm clouds gathering overhead, bare winter landscape visible Highway view from vehicle approaching elevated interchange ramp with dark overcast sky and sparse traffic

There were signs that they were prepping the roads for the winter weather. We also passed a few of those trucks.

Highway driving scene with electronic road sign displaying 'WINTER WEATHER PREP IN PLACE' message, overcast conditions Urban highway view approaching Dallas skyline with construction crane visible, wet pavement conditions under gray skies Multi-level highway interchange with wet road surface, traffic visible, 'EXIT ONLY' sign overhead

Lucky they were preparing the roads. As time went on, they got wetter and wetter. Eventually, that water turned into ice. There was also snow on the side of the road. This was definitely going to test Victoria's winter driving skills. At least the preparation on the road helped a ton! The other drivers were also cautious, and things went slow (or very slow at times).

Highway traffic jam under concrete overpass during winter weather, vehicles with brake lights on, wet pavement Close-up view of icy road surface through vehicle windshield showing thin layer of ice forming on pavement Highway barrier view showing ice accumulation on road surface with urban/industrial area visible in background Traffic backup on icy highway, view of gray Ford Mustang directly ahead with ice visible on roadway Highway shoulder view showing ice-covered road surface with concrete barriers and industrial structures in distance Similar highway ice conditions with concrete barriers, drainage grate visible in ice accumulation, overcast sky Highway driving view with ice-covered lanes, trucks and vehicles ahead navigating winter weather conditions Selfie of smiling woman wearing sunglasses and leather jacket while driving, concrete barrier visible through window Highway view with 'BEGIN NO TRUCKS LEFT LANE NEXT 18 MILES' sign, wet road conditions, bridge structure ahead Wet highway driving conditions with vehicles ahead, overcast sky, sparse traffic on multi-lane roadway Dashboard view following large white semi-truck on wet highway with road spray, overcast conditions and sparse traffic Highway perspective with concrete median barrier, light snow accumulation visible on shoulders, vehicles ahead in distance Close-up view through rain-covered windshield showing heavy water droplets and streaming during winter storm Roadside view of rural winter landscape with patches of snow on dormant fields and bare trees in distance Highway traffic navigating snow-covered lanes on elevated roadway, concrete barriers visible on both sides Roadside rest area or parking lot with patchy snow cover on grass and bare winter trees near highway overpass Following semi-trailer truck on snowy highway during active precipitation, rural winter landscape with snow-dusted hills Roadside embankment with construction barriers and patchy snow coverage, bare deciduous trees visible on hillside Motion-blurred view of snow-covered roadside with construction markers and scattered winter precipitation on ground Highway traffic on icy road surface with visible tire tracks, vehicles ahead including SUVs and construction area sign Close-up ground-level view of icy highway shoulder with snow-covered dormant grass field extending to tree line Traffic navigating ice-covered highway lanes with semi-truck visible, yellow warning sign on right, winter conditions Close-up view of highway shoulder showing detailed ice striations and patterns on pavement surface with agricultural field Ice-covered highway with multiple vehicles traveling slowly, including cars and SUVs maintaining safe distance Large commercial semi-truck with Ryder branding traveling on icy highway lanes alongside other winter traffic Pickup truck ahead on ice-covered interstate highway with overhead green exit sign, sparse winter traffic Nearly empty wet highway with guard rails on both sides under dark gray winter storm clouds Wide view of wet highway lanes stretching into distance under clearing winter skies, minimal traffic visible Red fire engine from Hillsboro Fire Rescue parked on snowy highway shoulder during winter weather response Black SUV and sedan stopped on snowy highway shoulder, appearing to be weather-related incident or breakdown Flatbed tow truck with tilted bed on snowy highway shoulder, operator in safety vest standing nearby during winter weather recovery operation

We did a quick pit stop at Slovacek's. Victoria's car was dirty from all the slush on the road.

Exxon gas station with Bova Cafe restaurant visible, wet pavement conditions, multiple vehicles parked under overcast sky White sedan parked in lot showing heavy road salt and winter grime splattered along lower door panels and wheel wells

After leaving Slovacek's, the roads had less ice. As time went on, they became drier. By the time we hit Austin, we could see blue skies. Victoria decided to get a car wash right away.

Wet highway driving toward dramatic dark storm clouds with yellow pickup truck visible ahead, threatening weather conditions Highway view under gray overcast sky with moderate traffic, concrete barriers on left, commercial signs visible in distance Multi-lane highway with clearing skies and dramatic cloud formations, light traffic and commercial development visible on horizon Approaching H-E-B car wash facility entrance with red and blue signage, clear afternoon sky with scattered clouds

All in all, we made it home fine. Victoria did a great job with her winter driving skills. It definitely took a lot longer to get back to Austin, but it was nice to be back. Just as I've discovered in the past on how much weather can change in a cross Texas drive, this was no different. We went from cloudy, snowy, and icy to dry roads and clear blue skies.

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