Ice storm better for sliders than drivers

For Carson Gilbert, Saturday's slick surfaces were reason to celebrate. 

"I grew up in North Carolina. I remember this as a kid, and we haven't had that many events over the past 20-25 years," he said.

As drivers battled the elements behind the wheel Saturday morning, the young and young-at-heart were having a blast.

"It's great. The kids are having a wonderful time," exclaimed Emily Lawson.

Her son Jack put the family dog to work. "My dog was pulling me. I crashed and it was fun," Jack Lawson said. "That was probably the best part of when I was going."

Parents kept a close eye on the sledders.

Viewer video: Snow, sleet, ice

"It's not very forgiving when you bail out, but they don't care. They are having a blast," Emily Lawson said.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, the opportunities for a long ride melted along with the ice.

The same thing was happening on area roadways. Most major routes were merely wet by mid-day Saturday. Temperatures moved past the freezing mark shortly before noon and climbed to a high of about 40 degrees, gradually melting ice left on secondary roads, parking lots and sidewalks.