Freezing drizzle and mist threatened commuters during the morning rush hour Wednesday as officials warned of "patchy slick spots" across much of the Chicago area.
The National Weather Service reported patchy light freezing drizzle would drift across the area to the southeast through 7 a.m. A special weather statement was issued for numerous counties in the area.
"If you will be driving, be alert for patchy slick spots ... especially on bridges and overpasses," the NWS tweeted. "Leave extra travel time. Slow down and increase following distance."
Slick spots could pose an issue for motorists, mainly on elevated or untreated roads, according to officials.
Numerous crashes were reported in the Chicago area by 6 a.m. Wednesday, though the causes of the accidents weren't immediately clear.
There was a crash on the Stevenson Expressway near the Dan Ryan that shut down three lanes for part of the morning and an earlier crash in Bensenville that involved an Illinois Department of Transportation salt truck.
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Another crash led to Metra train delays near Union Station, officials said.
According to Metra, inbound and outbound trains on the Milwaukee District-West line were stopped "due to a vehicle accident not involving a Metra train."
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The fozen precipitation has been an issue since Tuesday evening, especially north of Interstate 80.
According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, "spotty freezing drizzle will gradually transition to flurries and light snow showers through the morning."
Flurries are expected to continue into the afternoon, with highs reaching into in the mid 30s.
While accumulations aren’t expected, some parts of northwest Indiana could potentially see accumulating lake-effect snow Wednesday and even into Thursday morning.
High temperatures on both days will likely settle into the low-to-mid 30s, part of a continuing trend of seasonable temperatures across the region.
Friday should see partly-to-mostly cloudy skies, with highs once again in the mid-30s.
