Heavy Snow Making For Treacherous Morning Commute; 'Not A Good Time To Be Out On The Roads'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- With heavy snow blanketing the Chicago area, and drifting snow making a difficult job even tougher for snow plows, authorities say people should stay home if they can, and use public transportation if possible if they do have to go anywhere.
"Wherever you're traveling this morning, driving is going to be not a good time to be out on the roads," Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman Guy Tridgell said.
The state's snow plows have been working throughout the night to keep Chicago area expressways clear for the morning commute, but blowing snow has been making that a more challenging task than normal.
"Whatever we're plowing, more often than not, is winding up right back on the road," Tridgell said.
Illinois State Police said there have been several reports of drivers spinning out in the snowy conditions, but as of early Monday morning, there had been no reports of crashes resulting in injuries.
With whiteout conditions in some areas, the best option on Monday is to stay at home if possible.
"If you do have to venture out, public transportation, if it's available, is a great option; but if you are headed out, you need to build a lot of extra time into your schedules throughout the day, not just this morning. It's going to be a very slow day of travel," Tridgell said.
The heaviest snowfall is expected in the northern suburbs, where up to 8 inches of snow could fall on Monday.
"The roads are in really rough shape this morning," Lake County Sheriff's Sgt. Chris Covelli said. "It's going to take probably double the time it takes you to get to where you need to go if you do venture out."
"If you do, it's so brutally cold, and we have a lot of snow falling, if you end up stranded, that's a big concern. It could take us a while to get to you," he added.
In northwest Indiana, conditions while the snow isn't quite as heavy as far northern Illinois, Indiana Department of Transportation spokesman Adam Parkhouse said conditions worsen further east of the Illinois-Indiana state line, with near whiteout conditions in LaPorte County.
"We are suggesting, obviously, that people slow down. If you do have the ability to stay home, it is obviously advisable to do that, but if you must be out there, please slow down, and also when you see our plows out there please give them plenty of space to do their thing," he said.
