Icy roads have forced officials to close or partially block off close to 60 roads throughout the regions. The Houston Fire Department has responded to 136 traffic crashes overnight to about 9:40 a.m. Friday, said Jay Evans, an HFD spokesman.

Ice has been reported covering the ground as far south as 100 feet from Galveston Bay.

Drivers are urged to stay off the roadways if possible and to be extremely cautious if they do drive.

Bridges and overpasses throughout the Greater Houston metropolis, including all HOV lanes, were closed early this morning for ice on the roadways, leaving drivers stranded in long lines waiting for the roads to reopen.

Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO) officials, responding to reports of ice on the carpool lanes, said all HOV lanes along Interstate 45, U.S. 59 and U.S. 290 would remain closed for the morning commute.

In northeastern areas, ice has slowed drivers. Eastbound FM 1960 near East Lake Houston Parkway is closed. Connector ramps from the North Sam Houston Parkway to the Eastex Freeway are covered with ice.

All main lanes of the Sam Houston Tollway at Interstate 10 east of Houston are icy, according to TranStar. As the icy rain falls, it is especially crippling freeways northeast and northwest of the city, where bridges and overpasses are especially vulnerable to the wet weather and wind,

Highway 146 near the Fred Hartman Bridge was especially hard hit, closed in both directions for icy conditions. Eastbound La Porte Freeway near Scarborough is also shut down.

Reports of ice, though less severe, are popping up along southeast Houston area freeways as well. Between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m., about a dozen reports of ice came into Houston TranStar, including along the Grand Parkway at Owens Road and U.S. 59 at Walsh Road and Klauke Road.

Five roads, mostly south and east of Houston, were closed due to ice, including Texas 225, Texas 124 and NASA Road 1.