Parts of Illinois under shelter-in-place due to severe snowstorm: What you need to know
Washington County in downstate Illinois was under a shelter-in-place order after a major winter storm brought “life-threatening weather conditions” with snow, ice, power outages, and major travel impacts, with spin-outs and crashes. The Illinois State Police Troop Six announced its emergency snow plan had been activated due to the winter weather. Some power outages were also reported in the area, with Tri-County Electric Cooperative and Ameren reporting more than 20,000 customers without power, according to outages maps.
Driving and travel conditions due to the winter storm were hazardous, with the “main roads are all terrible,” according to the Washington County Sherriff’s Office. The shelter-in-place was issued just before 5 a.m. Monday, with no immediate information on how long the order would last.
Winter road conditions across the Midwest
The winter storm wasn’t just affecting Illinois. Snow and ice blanketed major roads across Kansas, western Nebraska, parts of Indiana, and beyond. Nearly 300,000 customers were without power early Monday across several states. Winter storm warnings were issued in Kansas and Missouri, with blizzard conditions causing wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour. The warnings extended to New Jersey for Monday and into early Tuesday. For locations in the region receiving the highest snow totals, it could be the heaviest snowfall in at least a decade, the weather service said.
School closings
Although schools in Northeastern Illinois remained open during the weather, schools in other states began announcing cancellations and delays on Sunday afternoon. Kentucky’s Jefferson County Public Schools canceled classes, extracurricular activities, and athletics for nearly 100,000 students. Classes were also canceled in Maryland, where Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency Sunday and announced the state government would be closed Monday.
How much snow in Chicago?
While some areas saw patchy, freezing drizzle Monday morning, others experienced lake effect snow, with more expected to fall in Lake County in Illinois and Kenosha County in Wisconsin. The snow could amount to as much as four inches in some parts, with cold temperatures lingering throughout the week.
