McHenry County weather: Warnings of icing overnight, more snow possible Wednesday

As Tuesday’s slushy snow started winding down, the wind was expected to pick up and temperatures were dropping, prompting officials at the National Weather Service to remind drivers to be on the lookout for ice during their Wednesday morning commutes.

“Slow down and allow extra distance” between vehicles, meteorologist David King said. “We are not expecting ice figure skating rinks, but we do want to make them aware that there is a risk there.”

While warmer-than-expected air temperatures played into McHenry County seeing a little less snow than originally forecast, the weather service said the region is not done, with an additional 1 to 2 inches forecast for Wednesday night, another snow event expected on Friday and the potential for arctic cold behind that.

Tuesday’s storm dumped another 3 to 5 inches onto the few inches of snow that fell Monday night. King said the weather service did not have accumulation totals available later Tuesday, as most volunteer observers call in with the totals in the morning hours.

A Prairie Grove observer did report at 6 p.m. Tuesday a total of 3.5 inches in the village.

The wet snow, combined with colder temperatures overnight and wind gusts in the 40 to 45 mph range out of the northwest, caused the weather service’s concern about ice on Wednesday morning.

“Be careful while the sun is not out,” King said.

Overnight lows were expected to dip into the 20-degree range, and on Wednesday “we will barely touch 30,” King said.

The next chance for snow should begin at about 6 p.m. Wednesday at “the tail end of the commute,” King said. That is expected to add about an inch of snow, but some areas could see up to 2 inches, he added.

While the area, including McHenry County, did not get the 11 inches predicted later Monday, the seven or so inches it did get “can still impact roadways,” King said.

Those expected impacts on roadways lead to several school districts canceling classes Tuesday.

One that did not cancel school was Algonquin-based Community Unit School District 300.

Her three daughters were not happy that they had to go to school when other neighboring districts called snow days, said Samantha Crisp of Lake in the Hills.

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Footballs are covered by some more snow near the intersection of Walkup Avenue and Brink Street in Crystal Lake as a winter storm moves through McHenry County on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, delivering snow to most of the county. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )

“It was not fun. There were a lot of sighs and complaining,” Crisp said.

Randall Road was not completely plowed when she dropped off her daughters at Westfield Community School.

At pickup, many parents seemed to have arrived early because of the snow and road conditions.

“I fishtailed on Randall Road … and County Line (Road) was a disaster too” when she picked up her daughters at the end of the day, Crisp said.

In Woodstock, plowing crews were out starting at about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday and worked until 3:30 p.m., when second-shift drivers took over, Public Works Director Brent Aymond said in an email. The later shift was expected to work until about 11:30 p.m., “when our primary drivers will return to begin final cleanup, cul-du-sacs and pushing everything to the curbs,” Aymond wrote.

Crystal Lake reported that some garbage pickup was disrupted Tuesday and anyone who was missed should put it back on the curb by 7 a.m. Wednesday.