Drivers in northern Illinois had to contend with slippery road conditions Tuesday morning as the first measurable snow of the season coincided with the morning commute, although conditions generally were not as bad as expected, forecasters said.
National Weather Service meteorologists said northern Illinois travel conditions had been perilous for a few hours after snow began falling around 4 a.m., leaving anywhere from trace amounts to 3 inches of snow in the hardest-hit areas. Along with the fresh powder, forecasters said roads also were slick, in part “thanks to temperatures right around freezing.”
Meteorologist Kevin Donofrio said most communities had evolved from heavy snow to a rain/ snow mix by about 8 a.m., a few hours sooner than expected.
“Most of the accumulation is probably winding down at this point. Temperatures have warmed up above freezing throughout the area so I don’t imagine you’ll see much more in the way of additional snowfall totals,” Donofrio said.
But the numbers did jump a bit from weather spotter reports that came in between 6 and 7 a.m. and a final accounting done at 10 a.m., according to snowfall totals released by the weather service. That included the state’s second-largest city, Aurora, receiving a total of 3 inches, more than any other municipality.
Wheaton, New Lenox, Huntley and Rockford all recorded 2 inches of snow, according to the weather service. Sycamore and Medinah had 1.9 inches; Cortland and DeKalb had 1.8 inches; and the Rockford Airport had 1.7 inches.
Donofrio said Midway Airport had 0.8 inches, O’Hare — the city’s official recording site — had 0.7 inches, and the weather service office in Romeoville saw 1.5 inches, he said.
“A lot of the snow came down really hard, really fast, when it did. The inch-and-a-half we got here came down in just about an hour and completely covered the parking lot. But as soon as those heavy precipitation rates ended, with the temperature warming, it began melting just as quickly,” Donofrio said.
Earlier, Donofrio said, in Crystal Lake, a far northwest suburb, 1.3 inches fell and 1.5 inches of snow was recorded in Homer Glen.
“There was a lot of slush on neighborhood roads,” said Donofrio. “In the city, for example, there’s some snow on grass surfaces, but looking at some of the cameras downtown the roads are just wet, not snow-covered.”
Remaining areas that hadn’t already switched to rain or a rain/snow mix did so by about 9 a.m., he said. A winter weather advisory for McHenry County ended at 10 a.m..
Temperatures should warm for the rest of week after a high in the mid-40s Tuesday. Wednesday could see rain showers and possibly even thunderstorms, with highs from the mid-40s to the mid-50s. Thanksgiving should be partly cloudy, with highs in the upper 40s or low 50s.
Check back for updates and visit the Tribune’s weather page for more forecast details.
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