Joliet, Illinois – Wind-whipped snow is cutting visibility and turning parts of northern and eastern Illinois into a difficult drive Monday afternoon, with the worst conditions expected on north-to-south roads through the evening commute.
According to the National Weather Service in Chicago, a Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect until 7 p.m. CDT Monday for a large stretch of northern Illinois, including Rockford, DeKalb, Aurora, Ottawa, Morris, Pontiac, Kankakee and parts of Will and Cook counties. Northwest Indiana, including Gary, Hammond, Valparaiso and Rensselaer, is under the advisory until 8 p.m. EDT. Wind gusts could reach 40 mph, with blowing snow sharply reducing visibility and isolated snow showers dropping up to 1 inch in the hardest-hit areas.
The broadest impacts will be felt from Winnebago and Boone counties south through La Salle, Grundy and Livingston counties, where open areas and rural highways may see fast-changing conditions. Drivers on Interstate 39, Interstate 80, Interstate 55 and other exposed routes could run into sudden drops in visibility, especially near heavier snow showers. In Kankakee, Iroquois, southern Cook and Will counties, bursts of snow may briefly push visibility below a quarter mile.
State transportation officials are urging drivers to slow down, leave extra stopping distance and avoid unnecessary lane changes. Anyone heading out this evening should check Getting Around Illinois or Indiana 511 before leaving. The advisory expires later tonight, but slick spots and reduced visibility may linger where snow showers continue.
Five-Day Outlook for Joliet, Illinois
- Monday night: Snow showers taper off, still windy and cold with patchy slick spots.
- Tuesday: Colder but quieter, with improving travel conditions and lingering gusts.
- Wednesday: Dry weather returns with seasonably chilly temperatures.
- Thursday: Mostly calm, with no major travel impacts expected.
- Friday: Another chance for changing weather could develop, with updates possible later this week.
