RADAR: Track the winter storm with LIVE Doppler7 MAX
Snow spread across northern Illinois on Tuesday afternoon and quickly accumulated in the suburbs as snow fell at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour in some areas.
At 9 p.m., Carol Stream reported 4.5-inch, Elburn 4.2-inch, Aurora 3.6-inch, Naperville 3.5-inch, Romeoville 3.2-inch and Elk Grove Village 3-inch inches.
SEE: AccuWeather’s latest forecast for ABC7
The heaviest buildups will be in the northwest suburbs, where parts of McHenry and DeKalb counties could see up to 8 inches of snow.
Snowfall of more than 4 inches can occur north of Interstate 88, but only 1 to 3 inches is expected in the suburbs of southern and northwestern Indiana.
SEASON SCHEDULE:
Between 9pm and 3am, the snow began to mix with sleet and icy rains. Ice accumulations of up to two-tenths of an inch are also possible inland on the shores of Lake Michigan.
After 4 a.m., rainfall changed in all rains for much of the area as temperatures rose above freezing.
A total accumulation of snow and sleet of 1 to 4 inches is expected, with the highest amounts of snow expected along I-88 and north. Areas of the city could see about two inches of snow.
A Winter storm warning is in effect until 9 a.m. Wednesday in Boone County, north of Cook, De Kalb, Lake, Lee, Kane, McHenry, Ogle and Winnebago, Illinois and Walworth County, Wisconsin.
A Winter weather advice is in effect until 9 a.m. Wednesday in Central Cook; DuPage; Kendall; La Salle; Northern Will and Southern Cook Counties.
A Winter weather advice is in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday in Will, Grundy, Kankakee, Livingston, Southern Will counties in Illinois and Lake and Porter counties in Indiana.
SEE: Snowplows hit the roads as conditions deteriorate rapidly
The first significant snowfalls of the winter left a wrinkled metal trail as cracks and accidents spread down suburban roads. Snow arrived before evening rains, with the northern and northwestern suburbs at the target.
“I saw four or five, Eric, as well as people touching the barrier and all,” pilot Marc Groen said. “A couple wrapped the cars.”
In Lake and McHenry counties, strong winds created near-white conditions. At one point, traffic near Gurnee stopped.
In the 5300-block area of South Hyde Park Boulevard on the south side of Chicago, a CTA bus slid into a parked car, officials said.
In the Hinsdale oasis along Interstate 294, heavy snow caused many truckers to stop and wait for the storm.
“I’m going to stay well stopped to spend the night. I park to spend the night,” truck driver Bruce Brooks said. “I’ll let them do what they have to do tonight. Salt the roads, plow and do whatever they have to do, and I’ll try again in the morning.”
The Illinois Tollway has a full fleet of about 200 snowplows that it tries to maintain, but it’s a difficult task. Drivers are reminded to take it slow and, if possible, to stay off the road during the height of the storm.
Illinois state police appear to have been inundated with so many calls asking drivers involved in an uninjured accident to exchange information with the other driver and file a report later.
Roads and sidewalks remained stiff until Wednesday morning as icy rain continued to cover the ground.
A snowplow crashed into a wall at Midway airfield around 3:20 p.m. The driver was rushed to Holy Cross Hospital with minor injuries, Chicago police said.
Drivers should plan extra time during morning commutes.
Wednesday morning rain is not expected to melt all the snow, but it should help the roads, said Greg Dutra, an ABC 7 Chicago meteorologist.
SEE: Barrington deploys plows while northwestern suburbs prepare for heavy snow
Road crews have already been deployed in Barrington, which come out and clean the streets with emphasis on the main arteries of the village. Barrington has about 12 trucks in its fleet.
Public Works Director Jeremie Lukowicz said his teams were ready for this months ago.
“Before winter starts, even in October and November, we start checking all of our machines, making sure everything is ready to deploy,” Lukowicz said. “That this happens overnight allows us, hopefully, to have everything clean before they have to leave the next morning.”
Given that we are in a pandemic, Lukowicz said they require each crew member to sanitize their area before and after getting into their truck. In addition, trucks are also cleaned between shifts.
SEE: Chicago sees the first significant snowfall of the season
The Chicago Department of Roads and Sanitation deployed 287 snow vehicles to respond to snow Tuesday evening and morning. Salt spreaders will focus on keeping the city and Lake Shore Drive arterial routes passable until the snow stops.
Some power outages are possible due to the combined effects of wet snow buildup, some frost and wind gusts of up to 30 mph.
SEE: Frozen conditions cause cyclists to fall on Lake Chicago Road
O’Hare and Midway airports have only experienced minor delays due to the storm.
Another winter storm is expected Thursday and Friday, Dutra said. It will likely arrive after midnight on Friday, with a winter mix that will turn into rain.
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