Black Ice Creates Overnight Mess in Chicago Suburbs

Multiple crashes were reported in the north and northwest suburbs

Some of the first snow and black ice of the season slipped up traffic overnight in Chicago's north and northwest suburbs.

Illinois State Police were called to multiple collisions along a five-mile stretch of Route 53, from Palatine Road to Higgins Road. At one point local police had to shut down the ramps along the stretch until salt trucks arrived.

Cold temperatures forming black ice also caused a pileup on the Tri-State Tollway near Lake-Cook Road. A semi-truck reportedly jackknifed, and a pickup with a trailer and a Lincoln town car all crashed.

"This black limousine slid sideways coming down here about 60 mph, slid into a pole and caused some additional damage to the truck," a driver told NBC Chicago. "The semi was sliding sidewalks all the way down the road."

A five-car crash also was reported on the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway at Meacham, which was closed for a short time while the pileup was cleared.

The roads had improved by Tuesday morning, but some black ice patches remained, and temperatures are expected to be continually cold.

NBC Chicago meteorologist Andy Avalos
says that despite abundant sunshine, afternoon high temperatures in the metro area will top out only between 38 and 42 degrees. Overnight lows will range from the low 20s well inland to the low 30s in Chicago.

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