Residents who basked in spring-like weather on Sunday may want to return their focus to winter as a snowstorm could slow the Tuesday morning commute.
By the time the snow stops, up to 8 inches could fall in far northern Lake County, according to some weather forecasts.
Lake County Division of Transportation personnel and equipment were being readied to hit the streets late Monday and plow until the snow ends — possibly as late as 10 a.m. Tuesday, said Kevin Kerrigan, engineer of maintenance for the Division of Transportation.
“If we get five inches of snow, that’s a relatively good amount versus the little ones we’ve had this year,” Kerrigan said.
He noted that a 15-inch snowfall in November was the only memorable storm so far this season.
Kerrigan said the latest information is that snow would begin falling around 10 p.m. Monday. Most areas are expecting 3 to 5 inches of accumulation, with 6 to 8 inches possible near the Wisconsin border.
He said county plow drivers would hit county routes late Monday as the snow begins to fall, using the usual mixture of salt combined with a liquid application of beet juice and calcium chloride, which helps the salt stick to the roads.
Kerrigan said drivers should prepare for a slow commute Tuesday morning as snow is expected to fall during the morning drive and wind gusts of up to 20 miles an hour could limit visibility.
Division of Transportation spokeswoman Brooke Hooker said the county will continue to tell drivers not to crowd snowplows.
Kerrigan said that if the current forecast holds, maintenance crews will be able to switch to clean-up mode by mid-morning and the evening commute should be relatively normal.
The Lake County PASSAGE program allows drivers the opportunity to check for real-time local traffic information online. Hooker said one of its features allows users the ability to view camera images from local intersections. The site is available at www.lakecountypassage.com.
Hooker also reminded residents that the county only plows county roads, while the Illinois Department of Transportation is responsible for state routes.
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Information on county snow removal plans and operations is available at http://www.lakecountyil.gov/Transportation/Roads/Pages/Snow-Command.aspx.
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