Copyright NBC 5 Chicago
Motorists are being advised to use caution in parts of the Chicago area as blowing and drifting snow could impact the afternoon commute. In a special weather statement, National Weather Service officials warned of the potential for blowing and drifting snow on roadways in Kankakee and Will counties in Illinois, along with Lake, Porter and Newton counties in Indiana. Officials warned that southerly winds are causing shallow blowing and drifting snow, primarily on east-west roadways in open areas. Slippery and icy conditions are possible on affected roadways, leading to potential travel hazards. The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies had responded to an accident near Grant Park in the northeastern portion of the county for a crash involving multiple semi-trucks, with one of the rigs having left the roadway. Deputies reported to the sheriff’s office that many roadways were covered by drifting snow, and that motorists should use caution when driving. Parts of the Chicago area received heavy snow on Monday morning, with parts of Kankakee County receiving up to a foot of accumulation and parts of Indiana receiving more than 10 inches of snow thanks to a band of lake-effect precipitation that pushed to the south in the early hours Monday. That snow is now blowing and drifting on area roadways in the impacted regions, officials warned, and the cool air temperatures could potentially lead to some freezing of that snow, especially on elevated surfaces, according to officials. Warmer temperatures are expected to take hold as the week progresses, rising into the 60s by Saturday.
