Illinois roads were slick and slippery Monday morning as a major winter storm rolled through parts of the Midwest, with snow, freezing drizzle and ice impacting parts of the Chicago-area commute.
At Chicago O'Hare International Airport, a ground-stop was issued through 9:30 a.m. Monday, with more than 100 flights canceled, according to flychicago.com. A ground delay remained in effect, with average delays over 2 hours as winter weather continued, the FAA said.
In Lake, Cook and DuPage Counties, a winter weather advisory was in effect through 4 p.m., with possible hazardous travel conditions through evening rush hour.
MORE: Illinois county issues shelter-in-place due to ‘life-threatening weather conditions' amid snowstorm
In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, the National Weather Service warned of ice glazing on roads.
"Be prepared for variable road conditions, allow extra travel time and increase the following distance," the NWS said.
HEADS UP! Anything that is untreated has a layer of ice on it this morning in the Chicago metropolitan area due to freezing drizzle and mist! Be careful when heading out the door (sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, and secondary roads). #ILwx #INwx https://t.co/QkpgBosdYC
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) January 6, 2025
Local
And while some areas were seeing patchy, freezing drizzle Monday morning, others were seeing lake effect snow, with more expected to fall in Lake County in Illinois and Kenosha County in Wisconsin.
According to Roman, the plume could intensify at times Monday morning.
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"During the lake effect snow, the weather can vary from bands of locally heavy snow to dry weather just a few miles away," the NWS warned. "Visibilities can also vary greatly. Be prepared for rapid changes in weather, visibility and road conditions."
According to NBC 5 Traffic Reporter Kye Martin, some parts were already seeing spin-outs and crashes due to the winter weather, including in the outbound lanes of I-290 in Austin, in the north and southbound lanes of I-294 at Golf, and on roads in the Western Suburbs.
"Roads and especially brides and overpasses will likely become slick and hazardous," the NWS added. "Plan on slippery road conditions."
Illinois Road Conditions
Roads in Northern Illinois were seeing blowing snow and areas of icing, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation's winter road conditions map. In central and southern Illinois, where state police have enacted an emergency snow plan, roads appeared to be covered with ice and snow.
"Gusty winds will result in blowing and drifting snow and may contribute to white-out conditions in open and rural areas," the NWS in Lincoln, Illinois said in a post on X early Tuesday.
400 am update: Snow continues across central Illinois, mainly south of Peoria. Snow will gradually taper off from northwest to southeast. Gusty winds resulting in blowing and drifting snow in open and rural areas. #ilwx pic.twitter.com/OzPpxrkdmY
— NWS Lincoln IL (@NWSLincolnIL) January 6, 2025
Monday afternoon, the snow was mostly expected to impact central and southern Cook County, Roman said, before moving into Northwest Indiana by the evening time.
By Monday night, the snow was expected to move into Lake and Porter Counties in Indiana, Roman said.
How much snow could we get?
The snow could amount to as much as four inches in some parts, Roman said.
"We've already had a few inches in Lake County," Roman said, noting between two and three inches of additional snow could fall.
Most other areas will see between two and four inches, Roman said.
Conditions Tuesday were expected to be mostly dry, Roman said, with the next best chance for snow coming Friday.
Cold temperatures were expected to linger, Roman added, with highs in the 20s Monday and throughout the week.
