Chicago, IL – Drivers across northern Illinois face hazardous early-morning travel today as areas of freezing fog settle over the region, reducing visibility on several major highways, including I-90/94 and I-80.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS) Chicago, light snow ended shortly after midnight, but lingering moisture combined with cold air allowed freezing fog to develop across much of northern and central Illinois. Forecasters said the fog may become locally dense in spots, creating rapid visibility changes for commuters before sunrise Tuesday.
The affected area covers a broad stretch of the northern half of Illinois, including Cook, Lake, Kane, DuPage, McHenry, Will, Grundy, Kankakee, and LaSalle counties, as well as northwest Indiana counties such as Lake, Porter, Newton, Jasper, and Benton. Key metro areas impacted include Chicago, Joliet, Naperville, Aurora, Waukegan, and northwest Indiana cities such as Hammond, Gary, and Valparaiso.
NWS officials warned that untreated roads, bridges, and sidewalks may remain snow-covered and slick from Monday’s earlier snowfall. The combination of icy pavement and freezing fog could produce difficult travel during the morning commute, especially along heavily traveled corridors like I-90/94 through Chicago, I-80 stretching across Will and Grundy counties, and I-88 and I-55 in surrounding areas.
Drivers are urged to slow down, use low-beam headlights, and allow extra stopping distance. More weather updates are expected as conditions evolve through the morning.
