6 inches of snow so far, more coming for DeKalb County Friday night with ice on the way

A half a foot of snow pummeled DeKalb County Friday morning, and with more on the way and temperatures creating a potential for significantly hazardous and icy roads, area authorities are urging folks to stay off the roads if they can.

Drivers should be extra vigilant on their commute home Friday night, said DeKalb County Sheriff Andy Sullivan.

“Drive slowly if you have to be somewhere. If you don’t have to be anywhere, please stay at home,” Sullivan said Friday morning. “The forecast for later today is more snow coming with higher winds, so visibility will be reduced. And if you have to go somewhere, give yourself plenty of time make sure you have a tank of gas, cell phone and extra clothing in the car with you in case you end up stranded on the roadway.”

DeKalb County saw 6 inches of snow fall between about 3:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. The heavy snowfall and gusting winds made Friday morning’s commute a rough and dangerous one as road crews attempted to keep up with the significant influx of snow.

Between 2 to 3 more inches of snow was expected to fall overnight and into Saturday. A winter storm warning remains in effect for DeKalb County and much of northern Illinois through noon Saturday.

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While the heaviest snowfall is over, the next round Friday night could bring with it mixed precipitation north of Interstate 88, said Scott Baker, meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Chicago/Romeoville office. Drizzling rain is forecasted for the area between I-88 and I-80, he said. Blowing winds will impact visibility much as motorists saw in the morning.

“The winds are probably going to pick up as we go through late afternoon into the evening,” Baker said. “So just take your time again, still allow a little extra time to get to your destinations, especially north of I-88.”

Motorists throughout northern Illinois were experiencing snow covered roads due to blowing snow on Friday morning, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

While heavy snow tapered off with some lulls in the late morning allowing plows to come through and clear the roads, whatever precipitation remains on the roads come sunset will likely turn to ice, Baker said.

[ Warming centers available for free in DeKalb County ]

Overnight frigid temperatures won’t abate by Saturday morning, so anyone needing to hit the roads then should do so with extreme caution.

“As we go through the overnight, we will drop below freezing, we’ll be in the low 20s so roads especially even tonight after the sun goes down and as we get later on in the overnight after midnight, any roads that do still have water on them or are wet or slightly snow-covered will probably turn icy pretty quickly,” Baker said. “More than likely could be some black ice, too.”

Temperatures are expected to plummet over the weekend, with wind chills reaching 15 to 20 below zero degrees by Sunday night into Monday, forecasts show. Some areas in more northern Illinois could reach wind chills of 35 degrees below zero through Tuesday night, Baker said.

Drier days are ahead, however, with Friday’s snow system expected to taper off by Saturday afternoon. Dangerously cold temperatures will be the main concern moving forward, Baker said.

“It’s going to be cold out. So if you don’t have to be out, don’t be out. If you do have to be out, limit your time our and dress for the weather. Dress in multiple layers,” Baker said.

This story was updated at 3:30 p.m. Jan. 12, 2024 with the latest forecast.