"Ice is the worst:" GeoMelt made with beet juice being used to treat roads in West Bend

WEST BEND -- The National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather ADVISORY for all of southeast Wisconsin Wednesday, January 11th.  The advisory kicked in at 1:00 p.m. for Sheboygan,  Washington, Dodge, Ozaukee, Waukesha and Jefferson Counties, and at 5:00 p.m. for Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee and Walworth Counties. The FOX6 Weather Experts said  a mix of rain, freezing rain, sleet and light snow is expected Wednesday evening. The wintry mix will gradually transition to light snow overnight Wednesday -- and continue into the first half of Thursday.

There were a number of vehicles in ditches in Washington County Tuesday, and crashes on the highway after rain and cold temperatures led to slippery conditions.

Then on Tuesday evening and Tuesday night we dealt with high wind in southeastern Wisconsin. The wind took down three block walls near a Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Mount Pleasant.

In the City of West Bend on Wednesday, the director of Public Works said overnight, despite icy conditions, the roads were good.

They were looking to keep it that way as more messy weather was expected.

Salt trucks on Wednesday were getting last-minute repairs in West Bend.

"The ice is the worst for us to handle. We're prepared for it. We pre-treat the roads, try to get ahead of the storm as much as we can," said Doug Neumann, with West Bend Public Works.

Something they're doing for the first time is using a new type of solution called "GeoMelt," made from beet juice, which is used to pre-treat roads and is also mixed with the salt to make it work better.

The Public Works director says it's working really well so far.

"The road temperatures are a critical factor in whether it's the rain or ice. It's road temperatures that can affect safety. Always drive with caution and care and be courteous for the plow drivers. They turn around a lot and it's a dangerous situation for everyone," Neumann said.