RALEIGH — If this winter storm packs any kind of punch, it will not help the Triangle's roadways. The Department of Transportation has been working around the clock, but the roads are still an icy mess.

Patches of ice are lurking on Raleigh roadways like sunset shadows, creating pitfalls for unsuspecting drivers.

David Hiscoe and his wife tried to park their car with very little success, thanks to an icy patch. Hiscoe says this is like his morning commute on I-40.

"It would look good for 200 yards, and then there would be an ice patch," Hiscoe said. "Drivers around here aren't used to that, so there was a lot of chaos."

The roads can be deceiving.

For example, Hillsborough Street in Raleigh is like a number of other major and secondary roads. One side is snow- and ice-free, while the other side is a slushy mess that is prone to freeze when the temperature drops.

"When it packed down and the temperature got into the teens that first night, it just froze," said Raleigh City Manager Dempsey Benton. "That's very difficult to plow once it gets into that condition."

Raleigh Police say the weekend could be a busy one for them.

Roads that are normally two lanes might be down to one lane because of ice buildup, and motorists might not realize that until it is too late.

They caution drivers to pay close attention to the changing road conditions and do not assume that since part of the road is clear, it will be the entire way.