RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) -- Crews spent Monday treating roadways, bridges and overpasses for possible Christmas Eve morning freezing rain in the forecast for parts of central North Carolina.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation dispatched 3 trucks to spray liquid brine -- a cheaper, environmentally safer water and salt solution -- onto roadways, bridges and overpasses throughout Wake and Durham counties -- along with Franklin, Person, Granville, Vance and Warren counties.

This marks the first time this year that NCDOT has treated roadways to prevent any freezing rain from sticking in the form of hard-to-see and risky-to-drive-on black ice.

"It's kinda like hydroplaning," Holiday traveler, Josh Kozerow, from Lynchburg, Virginia, told CBS 17.

Lynchburg had freezing rain just a few days ago.

"It rained for a few hours, so I'd say, but it never really stuck. So that was the good thing."

For Triangle traffic, NCDOT decided to take "an overly cautious approach" to protecting roadways and drivers.

And CBS 17 Chief Meteorologist Wes Hoenstein said late Monday afternoon that drivers could possibly see a trace amount of freezing rain between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. Christmas Eve morning.

Officials also cautioned that even a trace can cause some problems for drivers, possibly leading to slipping and sliding or worse.

"This is my first winter here in North Carolina," Rich Frye said. "But I've spent other winters in even colder places. And when there's freezing rain like that, especially the type that gets on your car windows, on your cars and on the roads, you have to be extra careful. And I would suggest not driving during that time if you Don't have to."

Holiday traveler Sophie Kelly said she had driven on freezing rain surfaces.

"Definitely scary. Definitely," Kelley said.

Temps are expected to rise pretty quickly on Christmas Eve day.