Chicago, IL — Snow is spreading across the Chicago area this morning, already creating slick, snow-covered roads and reducing visibility, according to an update from the National Weather Service Chicago office. Conditions are expected to deteriorate further through the afternoon as snowfall intensifies.
Light to moderate snow continues to fall across northern Illinois, with rates around 0.25 to 0.5 inches per hour. These steady rates will persist through late morning before increasing between 12 PM and 8 PM, the window when forecasters expect the heaviest snowfall of the day. Travel impacts will ramp up during this period, especially on untreated roads and major highways.
Traffic cameras across the region—including I-290 in Cook County, I-39 near Tonica, I-65 near Roselawn, and IL-60 in Mundelein—already show roadways coated with snow and visibility reduced due to steady flakes. Drivers should anticipate longer travel times, potential lane reductions, and rapidly changing road conditions.
The National Weather Service advises motorists to slow down, increase following distance, and avoid crowding snowplows as crews work to keep roads passable. Even small increases in snowfall rate can quickly worsen conditions, particularly during the afternoon and early-evening commute.
Snow will continue area-wide through the afternoon before tapering later in the evening. While exact totals will depend on how long the higher rates persist, forecasters say today’s event will be enough to produce notable travel difficulties across much of the Chicago metro.
For the latest road conditions, residents can visit getttingaroundillinois.com or 511in.org. Forecast updates are available at weather.gov/chicago.
