First snow of the year hits McHenry County, with 1 to 3 inches, dozens of crashes

McHenry County saw about 1 to 3 inches of accumulation during the season’s first snow Thursday – along with several dozen vehicle crashes.

The city of McHenry saw a “mass call volume” in a short time, McHenry Police Department spokesperson Ashley O’Herron said Thursday, leading the city to implement its snow plan for nonemergency traffic crashes.

Police encouraged drivers involved in minor crashes where nobody was injured and cars still drivable to exchange information and submit a police report later, according to a city alert issued about 9:15 a.m. Thursday.

By about 11:45 a.m., the police department had responded to a half-dozen crashes and “numerous other motorist assists” over a 3½-hour period, O’Herron said.

The Pearl Street Bridge was temporarily closed because of the weather conditions, reopening after plows had a chance to salt it, O’Herron said.

In nearby Woodstock, police responded to eight crashes between 8 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. Thursday, but officials couldn’t say whether any were weather-related.

By 1:15 p.m. Thursday, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office had received calls for 20 crashes and 27 motorist assists, including cars in ditches, spokesperson Emily Matusek-Baker said. All 47 events were weather-related, she said.

The sheriff’s office posted on social media Thursday, reminding drivers of winter weather safe driving tips, including decreasing speed, avoiding cruise control, increasing following distance, accelerating and decelerating slowly, removing snow and ice from vehicles, and making room for plows and emergency vehicles.

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A man shovels snow at KC’s Cabin on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Fox Lake, as winter weather makes its first appearance in McHenry County. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver Shaw Media )

Woodstock public works hit the roads about 8:30 a.m. to salt, and plows started pushing snow out of the roads about 10 a.m., Public Works Director Brent Aymond said. Crews still were out early Thursday afternoon, but Aymond didn’t expect them to be out very late.

Leaf collection was canceled for the day in Woodstock, Aymond said, adding the leaf machines are pulled by the plows.

In Huntley, crews were out about 7:30 a.m. salting and returned in the mid- to late morning, plowing slush and salting again, said Jason Irvin, the deputy public works director. He expected crews to be finished by around 3 p.m.

Irvin said it was nice to have a lighter event, noting the area usually starts off with a dusting or light snow.

About 1 to 3 inches of snow fell in McHenry County, National Weather Service meteorologist Gino Izzi said Thursday afternoon.

No precipitation was expected Friday, and highs were forecast to be in the mid-40s, National Weather Service meteorologist David King said Thursday afternoon. Temperatures, however, were expected to drop an be closer to the freezing mark as people wake up Saturday morning.

Most of the snow is expected to melt Friday, King said.