Chicago Weather: Icy conditions cause slick roads, crashes
A wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain fell Sunday in the Chicago area which has caused problems on the road and at the airports.
And the slick conditions was expected to continue into Monday morning.
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Very cold pavement due to recent subzero temperatures is making the roads hazardous as the precipitation persisted after the sun set and slated to continue into the overnight hours, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). On Sunday along Interstate 57 in Monee in the south suburbs, several vehicles were in ditches. Illinois State Police's Chicago District responded to about 20 crashes from roughly 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
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The precipitation turned into snow between about 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., and started snowing lightly between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.
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Motorists were advised to make preparations if they plan to be on the road.
"If you are going to be traveling, you should first ask yourself if your trip is necessary before heading out," said IDOT Secretary Randy Blankenhorn.
At about 9 p.m., O'Hare International Airport had 202 cancellations and a 48-minute average delay. At Midway Airport, 38 flights were canceled and there is a 15-minute average delay.
A Winter Weather Advisory was issued for Cook, DuPage, Will, Kankake, Ford and Iroquois counties until 6 a.m. Monday. The same advisory was issued for DeKalb, Kane, Grundy, Kendall, LaSalle, Lee, Livingston and Ogle counties until 3 a.m. Monday.
In Indiana, a Winter Weather Advisory was issued for Lake, Porter, Benton, Jasper and Newton counties until 7 a.m. Monday. The advisory was extended until 9 a.m. for Elkhart, Kosciusko, La Porte, Marshall, St. Joseph and Starke counties.
The good news is that the Monday morning commute looks dry and a warm-up is coming this week, including Thursday when temperatures could reach 50 degrees.
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Authorities are blaming the cold in the death of an 80-year-old Chicago man, whose body was found in an unheated home. The Cook County medical examiner's office said Sunday that Donald Ohr died of hypothermia from cold exposure.
Officials say it also appears the continued cold led to a pipe break at a Department of Public Health laboratory in Chicago. Emergency crews were on site Sunday at the lab which performs testing for environmental hazards and diseases.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
