Black ice made for a dangerous commute on Monday afternoon and evening as the Wareham Fire Department responded to 15 car crashes.

“It was a busy day yesterday due to the weather conditions,” said Wareham Fire Department Acting Chief Pat Haskell. “The roadways were in rough shape.”

Haskell said the majority of crashes were minor, except for one that happened at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Glen Charlie Road. A driver and passenger had to be extricated using the jaws of life, said Haskell. Both were taken from the scene by Wareham EMS.

Other crashes occurred throughout the afternoon and evening, mostly spinouts and fender benders, but some cars slammed into telephone poles. The calls slowed down around 9 p.m., said Haskell.

“It quieted down by then when most people were home,” said Haskell. “The conditions were treacherous. It was cold, and once the rain hit the roads and sidewalks it glazed right over.”

Despite being around 20 degrees, rain fell instead of snow due to a “cold air wedge,” according to Onset Fire Chief Ray Goodwin.

When that occurs, warmer air in the upper atmosphere prevents rain from turning into snow. Once it hits the ground, the cold air flash freezes the water, creating a thin sheet of ice.

Goodwin said Onset and East Wareham missed most of the ice, however, there were a handful of minor incidents.

“We had a couple of slip and falls, nothing major,” said Goodwin.