The entire Chicago area was under a winter storm warning Friday, with some counties already seeing heavy and wet “bursts” of snow as a powerful winter snowstorm began to take hold across all of Northeastern Illinois and Northwest Indiana.
Editor's Note: We're tracking the winter storm all day. You can find the latest weather updates in our winter storm live blog here.
Buses were being rerouted, numerous crashes were reported and Chicago-area residents were being urged to consider postponing travel as morning snowfall and winds made for treacherous road conditions across the region.
Dozens of schools have altered their learning plans, with some canceling classes altogether and others moving to e-learning.
With snowfall rates of 1-to-2 inches of snow per hour being reported across the area, the National Weather Service is urging residents to consider postponing travel because of hazardous conditions.
By 8 a.m., Illinois' road conditions map showed much of the area seeing snow or ice-covered roads.
Some roadways were closed due to numerous accidents and "disabled vehicles" in the area, with some also closed for downed power lines. Thousands were without power as the storm hit Friday morning.
Local
Interstate 355 saw southbound lanes closed between Finley Road and Ogden Avenue due to an accident. Numerous ramps were closed on the Tri-State Tollway due to vehicle issues.
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At 10:45 a.m., the Kane County Sheriff's office said it was responding to "several cars in the ditches."
"Use caution and only travel in an emergency. There is a small break in the snow but it is going to pick up again," the office wrote. "If you see a vehicle with caution tape, that means Deputies have checked on it."
Check Road Conditions
It may be a good idea to check road conditions, so you know what expect.
You can do so through maps and reports, traveler information and more using a tool from the Illinois Department of Transportation called "Getting Around Illinois."
The tool allows you to look up current Illinois road conditions in a number of ways:
Here are a few resources:
Transit Alerts
The CTA says all of its trains are still operating as normal on Friday morning, but bus service on DuSable Lake Shore Drive has been halted due to the deteriorating conditions.
According to the agency, bus routes #6 (Jackson Park Express), #J14 (Jeffrey Jump), #26 (South Shore Express), #146 (Inner Lake Shore/Michigan Express), and #147 (Outer DuSable Lake Shore Express) will all be routed away from the lake.
All trains on the UP-NW line have been halted near Barrington after power lines were reported down across the tracks.
It is unclear when that will be resolved, and as a result traffic will be snarled on that line for the time being.
Trains were also halted near Wheaton on the UP-W line after a vehicle became stuck on the tracks, according to the agency.
The latest Metra updates can be found on the Ventra app, or on the agency’s website.
Latest information on the Chicago snowstorm
You can find our latest stories on the Chicago snowstorm below:
- Live snow radar map: Track weather near you as storm snarls Chicago area
- Snow totals: Latest snow totals in Chicago and Illinois as snowfall as continues
- Illinois winter road conditions: Buses rerouted, crashes reported and more
- Power outages: Tens of thousands of ComEd customers without power amid winter storm
- Flights canceled: Ground delay at O'Hare, thousands of flights canceled across Chicago airports
