Some Beaufort ice is turning to slush. But here’s why you should stay cautious on the road.

A young couple threw snowballs and began rolling a snowman in Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park on Thursday.

Tourists walked on the sunny, thawed side of Bay Street as water dripped from the awnings over the downtown shops. Cars slung water from their tires as they traveled once icy roads Thursday afternoon.

The Beaufort area squeezed another 12 hours from its snow day Thursday as the accumulation from the day before began to melt away.

Traffic moved freely most of the day as key bridges to Lady’s Island and headed south of the Broad River reopened.

But drivers on the road Thursday night and early Friday should be aware that the danger isn’t quite over.

“There’s a concern,” Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Bob Bromage said. “It’s going to be freezing overnight.

“Clearly we advise people to stay off the roadways still.”

Beaufort and Port Royal government offices are scheduled to reopen on Friday. Waste Pro will run extra trucks on Friday and Saturday to pick up trash and recycling, the company said in an automated message to customers.

Frozen roads began to turn to on some of northern Beaufort County’s main thoroughfares about lunchtime Thursday, while some shadier areas remained frozen over.

Cars traveled freely to and from Lady’s Island, as well as over the Russell Bell Bridge in Port Royal near Parris Island. The Harriet Tubman Bridge on U.S. 17 also reopened.

A pickup truck was seen in a slow spin on Paris Avenue in Port Royal and nearly struck a parked car.

A car ran off the road on Parris Island Gateway near Robert Smalls Parkway, traffic cameras showed. Beaufort Police and a tow truck worked the scene as traffic backed up.

Five wrecks were reported in the Beaufort and Port Royal area during the winter storm Wednesday, Beaufort-Port Royal Fire Chief Reece Bertholf said during a live broadcast on the department’s Facebook page. No serious injuries were reported.

A cold weather shelter at Sea Island Presbyterian opened again Thursday night and will remain open nights through Sunday. The church at 81 Sea Island Parkway will serve dinner and breakfast and be open from 6 p.m. until 8 a.m.

This story was originally published January 4, 2018 at 10:35 AM with the headline "Some Beaufort ice is turning to slush. But here’s why you should stay cautious on the road.."