Kane County officials urged drivers to stay off area roadways Tuesday morning due to "extremely icy conditions" that plagued drivers across the Chicago area.
"The Kane County Sheriff’s Office is asking our community to make every effort not to drive this morning due to extremely icy conditions, especially in rural Kane County," the sheriff's office said in a notice to residents. "We are experiencing many vehicles that have gone off the roadway overnight, numerous tow companies not responding until conditions improve, and plows having to drive backwards just to keep the salt under their tires."
As of 5:15 a.m., NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alicia Roman reported some parts were seeing just rain, as temperatures wobbled back and forth between a freezing point of 32 degrees. Other areas, including Kane and DeKalb Counties in Illinois and Gary and Valparaiso in Indiana, were seeing steady freezing rain.
"If your area has not been treated, it will be treacherous and dangerous this morning," Roman said. "We've seen some accumulations of ice this morning."
The Kane County Sherriff later sent an update saying roads were becoming more "passable" as the morning but went on but noted "it is still a very slow drive and some areas remain icy."
Kane County also moved to close all non-emergency government offices due to the weather.
Local
The National Weather Service warned drivers, saying that roads and untreated sidewalks near and south of I-88 are "ice-covered."
"Be very careful when walking out the door," the NWS said. "Don't trust any shiny surface."
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
NBC 5 Reporter Jen DeSalvo, who was in the western suburb of Carol Stream Tuesday, "significantly reduced visibility," along with wet, slick roads.
NBC traffic reporter Kye Martin reported several spin-outs and slide-offs Tuesday morning, including on Westbound I-88 in Downers Grove, in Schaumburg at Irving and Roselle and on the Edens Expressway at Touhy.
Martin also reported traffic signals in some parts were out.
As a result of the icy conditions, more than 60 schools across the Chicago area reported closures or moves to e-learning schedules for Tuesday.
According to FlyChicago.com, more than 100 flight cancellations were reported at O'Hare and Midway International Airports.
How to check Illinois road conditions
Ahead of your commute, here's how to check the road conditions near you:
