Monday morning commute: Roads still a mess

 

With over a foot of snow falling across much of northern Illinois Saturday night and Sunday, you can bet there are still issues on the roads this morning.  With the significant blowing and drifting snow that occurred Sunday afternoon, some county plows were taken off the roads.  They have since been back out this morning, but drifting snow is a major problem for the east/west roads.  So much that some roads remain closed this morning.

Here is a list of specific roads:
Palmyra Road is closed from IL-2 in Dixon to IL-2 in Sterling
US 52 is closed at Burkett Road in Lee County due to multiple vehicles stuck in the roadways
US 52 from Brookville to IL-26 due to drifts & cars blocking plows
IL-72 is closed from west of Shannon to IL-73 due to drifting
US 52 from Sublette to Mendota
IL 40 from Chadwick to south of Mt. Carroll
Chicago Road east of Paw Paw is impassable due to 9ft drifts

Here are road closing in specific counties:
Stephenson County:
State highways are passable, but secondary county roads are drifted shut.  This includes secondary north-south and east-west roads.  There were a lot of cars stuck on those roads.  The county highway department has been out plowing since 3am.  If you need help in Stephenson County, you are asked to call: 815-235-8252

Boone County:
Quail Trap Road is closed between Poplar Grove Road and Beaverton Road.  The rural areas have many impassable roads.  State roads are passable.  If you need help in Boone County, you are asked to call: 815-544-2144

Ogle County:
Most east-west roads are impassable.  Most north-south roads are manageable, expect IL 26 near Polo.  People were still stranded in their vehicles last night, and there have been reports of vehicles still stranded this morning.  If you need help in Ogle County, you are asked to call: 815-732-2136
There have been many reports of road closings in Rochelle.  Crews have been out since 3:30am.  If you need help in Rochelle, you are asked to call: 815-562-2131

Lee County:
State roads were being plowed as of 4am.  All secondary roads were impassable.  State roads IL 30 and IL 26 were slippery, but clear in Dixon.  Side roads and secondary roads are drifted.  If you need help, you are asked to call: 815-284-6631


Morning Discussion:
Winds overnight shifted to the north with gusts close to 20 mph.  Those winds continue this morning, but will begin to subside after 11am.  However, roads will still be an issue through the afternoon and evening commute as some of the snow may be hard to completely remove.  Where it may look like the road is clear, there has now been reports of ice developing.  With the dangerous roads, many school districts have closed for Monday morning.  For a complete list of closing, visit mystateline.com

Temperatures have fallen into the single digits under the clearing skies with wind chills falling well below zero.  Highs today will reach the low teens.  There will be a few flurries tonight under mostly cloudy skies.  A clipper system moving in from the northwest could bring more accumulating snow to the Stateline by Tuesday evening.