Chicago Weather: Snow turns icy as weekend temperatures plummet
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Snow is falling throughout the Chicago area. ABC7 Meteorologist Phil Schwarz says 1-5 inches of snow is expected to accumulate over the weekend. Schwarz says most will see about two inches of snow.
The heaviest snow fell to the west of Chicago with modest accumulations in the city. The snow is expected to abate for the rest of the weekend but will return on Monday. In the meantime, formerly mild winter temperatures will turn frigid.
As temperatures plummet, Schwarz said icy conditions will prevail overnight.
Snow and ice have been behind numerous crashes on suburban roads Saturday. In Elgin, one car spun off into a tree and many more, including a snow plow, ended up in ditches.
"I was just driving down the road and all of a sudden my car had a mind of its own," says Beth Gancarz. "I put my brakes on and nothing happened and the next thing I knew I was here in a ditch."
Snow came down hard in Lombard.
The Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation said it deployed more than 200 trucks to Lake Shore Drive and main streets in anticipation of the storm. Plows will focus on plowing and salting arterial routes to keep roads safe and passable for drivers. The Illinois Department of Transportation deployed a fleet of 300 trucks to clear roadways as well.
The storm is already causing some problems at the airports, with more than 100 flights cancelled or delayed at O'Hare and Midway. Travelers flying tonight should check with their carriers before heading to the airport.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the following areas:
INDIANA: La Porte County until 7 p.m. EST Sunday.
MICHIGAN: Berrien County until 7 p.m. EST Sunday
Sunday will be a much colder, blustery day. High temperatures will hover around 20 degrees. Low temperatures overnight will be in the single digits, with wind chills below zero.
CLICK HERE for the latest 7-day outlook from the First Alert Weather Team:
