More Snow Making For Slick Morning Commute; Another Storm Coming Thursday Night
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Another round of snow overnight was making for a slick morning commute in the Chicago area, and 5 to 9 more inches could fall from Thursday night through Friday evening.
The Chicago area got 2 to 6 inches of snow from a storm that moved through Monday night, the latest storm could add 1 to 3 more inches by Wednesday morning.
Light snow continues across nrn Illinois & NW Indiana this morning. Any additional accumulations will be very light (a few tenths), but roads will be slippery and untreated & lesser traveled roads may be snow covered. Use caution & allow extra time for your morning commute. pic.twitter.com/LbiqRBdauw
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) February 7, 2018
The Illinois Department of Transportation warned that, with temperatures in the teens virtually all day on Wednesday, roads could remain icy even after the snow stops falling in the morning. Travelers were advised to use public transportation if possible.
The Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation deployed 211 plows overnight to keep the city's main streets and Lake Shore Drive clear for the morning commute.
Will County-based Rite-Way Snow Control also had its drivers out in force to clear private driveways and parking lots. Owner Danny Keane was up all night, but he wasn't complaining, after a relatively quiet winter for his business before this week.
"We had a lot of salt events this year; a lot of icing, and that. So now it seems like Old Man Winter woke up, and he's starting to put the white stuff down for us to actually use the push blades," he said.
IDOT also had plows out to keep Chicago area expressways clear for the morning rush.
Skies cleared around 8 a.m. for most of the Chicago area. Lake effect snow could continue in northwest Indiana through the end of the morning.
Snow Thurs night/Fri peaking Thurs night/Fri AM w/sig impacts to AM commute psbl. By end of day Fri, some locales could see 5-9." Winter Storm Watch issued for area of greatest concern. Models still show modest flux in the storm track N/S 1-2 counties, so stay tuned for updates! pic.twitter.com/PKGaCMN16v
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) February 7, 2018
Meantime, the National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch from Thursday evening through Friday evening, with heavy snow expected to blanket the area with an additional 5 to 9 inches.
Saturday will bring another chance of snow.