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Texas is buried under ice. When can you drive safely?

Dallas-Fort Worth received a half-inch to one inch of sleet Tuesday, followed by freezing rain Wednesday.

A winter storm has blanketed much of Texas in a thick sheet of ice, leaving behind slick roads and disrupting travel.

Downtown Dallas turns white after winter storm
Drone video: Check out what the Dallas skyline and the Trinity River looks like after the winter storm. (David Guzman)

So just how long will this stuff stick around?

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To melt, ice requires temperatures to inch above freezing for an extended period of time. Just how long depends on the amount of ice, but the sun’s energy can help speed along the process, explained Hunter Reeves, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

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North Texas received a half-inch to one inch of sleet Tuesday, followed by freezing rain Wednesday.

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Crews across the region treated major roads and intersections with sand and salt, but many residential streets are still iced over for now, and authorities say nonessential travel should still be avoided for now.

Roads should begin to improve early Thursday afternoon, as parts of North Texas are climbing above freezing. The warmup will be brief, though, and with cloudy skies, conditions are likely to remain pretty icy. Overnight, the temperature will fall below freezing again.

On Friday, the temperature is expected to reach the upper 40s, and the sun will make an appearance, meaning this ice should finally melt. Saturday will climb to the balmy mid 50s.

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“This system that has been causing all of this mess over us will finally move on,” Reeves said. “We’ll see roads and traffic flow get back to normal Friday.”

Bottom line: Be patient. The end is in sight.

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