Blowing snow, strong winds and slick, coated roads across northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana area Friday morning was causing a slippery commute, leading to crashes and backups across Chicago-area highways and dangerous travel conditions for some.
"Travel this morning is definitely treacherous for trucks and cars," Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield told NBC Chicago Friday morning, as heavy, lake effect snow continued to pummel northwest Indiana, leading to white-out conditions in some parts.
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According to Fifield, some of the worst road conditions were seen in Lake, Porter and LaPorte Counties in Indiana, where snow was expected to continue piling up throughout the day.
"A lot of jackknifed semis," Fifield said, referring to accidents on I-65, and on 80/94 towards Michigan.
"If I could stay at home, I definitely would be," Fifield added. "I wouldn't be on these roads."
In northeast Illinois Friday morning, where a winter weather advisory was in place through 6 a.m., the snow was coming to an NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman said, but slick and slippery roads remained.
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"The roads are covered and slick," Roman said, noting that low temperatures in the teens were causing salt on roadways to become ineffective.
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While the snow is expected to move out of northeast Illinois Friday around noon, a snow plume is expected to hover over Michigan and Indiana all day, "bobbling" back and forth from mainly Porter and LaPorte Counties, Roman said.
The snow in northwest Indiana is expected to finally come to an end Saturday evening, Roman said. In northeast Illinois Saturday, conditions are expected to be dry and sunny.
How much snow?
In northeast Illinois, the system that moved in overnight and into Friday morning was expected to bring between 1 and 4 inches of snow, the National Weather Service said.
Those totals are expected to be much higher in Porter and LaPorte Counties in Indiana, where a winter storm warning was in effect through late Friday.
By Saturday, as much as 4.5 inches of snow is expected to have fallen in Valparaiso, with even higher totals elsewhere.
LaPorte, Indiana, could see 10.2 inches by Saturday, and Michigan City could see close to 12 inches.
"A foot of snow is possible, definitely in portions of Porter and LaPorte County," Roman said.
By 9 a.m., more than a foot of snow had already fallen in some parts, with 18 inches recorded in LaPorte.
According to the NWS, the snowfall in northern and northeastern Porter County late Friday into Saturday could be "crippling."
"Near crippling snowfall rates and whiteout conditions at times," the NWS warned, adding that snowfall rates of two to three inches per hour, and wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour were expected. "Travel is expected to become extremely dangerous, if not impossible in spots."
Chicago wind chill advisories
Cold air was expected to move back in ahead of a warm-up next week, Roman said.
According to the NWS, a wind chill advisory for LaSalle, Kendall, Grundy McHenry, DeKalb, LaSalle, and Kane Counties will go into effect at midnight, lasting through 9 a.m. Saturday. In those areas, wind chills as low as -25 could occur.
"Another blast of arctic air," Roman said, " But then back into the 40s by next week. The weather has been wacky."
Temperatures are expected to warm into the 20s, 30s and 40s by next week, Roman said, with a wintry mix of snow and rain possible Monday.
