Plane goes off taxiway at Detroit airport

A Delta flight from Portland, Ore., to Detroit slid off a taxiway as Detroit Metro Airport was "overwhelmed" by icy conditions this morning.

No one was injured.

The incident prompted a temporary halt to all incoming and outgoing flights, but airport spokesman Michael Conway said at about 9:30 a.m. ET that two runways had reopened and a third would be open soon.

"We got clobbered by freezing rain this morning," he said. "This was a significant ice storm."

Conway said the conditions developed even though maintenance crews had pre-treated the runways before the storm. Rain froze on contact between about 5 and 9 a.m., leaving a "thin glaze over stuff, just enough to make it slippery," according to Sara Schultz, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in White Lake Township

Jeff Brown, 58, of Bloomfield Township, was on Flight No. 394 this morning. He said the flight arrived about 6:40 a.m. today.

"It was slowing, but it didn't come to a complete stop ... it just slipped. The pilot slowed it down tremendously," he said. "It was kind of like a little bit of a car crash when youhave no traction and you just slide."

Passengers disembarked through the rear of the plane and were taken to the terminal via bus.

Anthony Black, an Atlanta-based spokesman for Delta, said the plane, which was carrying 160 passengers and six crew members, had moved from the runway onto a taxiway and was making a turn when the aircraft went off the taxiway. It's unclear how long the plane will remain off the taxiway. Crews will look for any possible damage. If the plane passes inspection, it will be returned to service, or it will be sent for repairs if need be.

"An event like this is pretty rare, and generally ... despite operating conditions, airports do an excellent job of making sure the runways and taxiways remain operable," Black said.

The icy conditions were not limited to the airport.

Communities from Grosse Pointe Shores to Auburn Hills, Farmington Hills and Redford Township reported icy roads. Numerous crashes were also reported, including multi-vehicle crashes on M-14 in western Wayne County and southbound Telegraph south of I-96.

Despite the treacherous roads, conditions are expected to improve throughout the day.

"Temperatures are finally moving above freezing, and roads will improve," said Schultz, the meteorologist. "We're going to stay above freezing tonight."

The weather service forecasts highs today in the lower 40s as warmer air pours into the region. The low tonight in the Detroit area should be around 39 degrees, and there's a chance of rain throughout the weekend

The snow that has blanketed unraked and uncollected leaves will also be melting as temperatures move into the 50-degree range on Monday. The brief warm-up is not expected to last, however. Schultz said

Temperatures should fall back into the 30s Monday evening and hover around freezing on Tuesday, Schultz said. On Thanksgiving, the high temperature is expected to be in the lower 30s with a chance for light snow showers.

Contributing: The Associated Press