By Eric Stock
LINCOLN – The National Weather Service in Lincoln extended its Winter Weather Advisory for McLean, Tazewell and Woodford counties until 6 a.m. after a weather system dumped an estimated five inches of snow on McLean County on Monday.
The snow had moved out of the area by late Monday, leaving roads sow covered. Most local roads are at least partially snow and ice covered on Tuesday morning, with overnight low temperatures in single digits.
Bloomington has issued a snow route parking ban that will remain in effect until noon, while Normal’s ban will remain in effect until 7 a.m. Bloomington’s Public Works Department encourages all residents to park off the street, even if your street is not a designated snow route. Residents can get updated snow route operations at www.cityblm.org/snow. In Normal, no parked cars are allowed on any streets. Vehicles must be moved off the streets to a driveway, garage or parking lot. Residents who no have a driveway or garage may park their cars for free in the town’s parking lots.
Parking bans were also issued in LeRoy and Mackinaw until further notice.
The McLean County Sheriff’s Office has a collision alert in effect until further notice. If an accident involves no injuries or major property damage, drivers have 48 hours to report a crash.
Mark Leake, maintenance foreman with the McLean County Highway Garage, said roads conditions aren’t ideal but are manageable.
“Until the salt activates and gets working and the sun comes up and get a little more heat, you are probably going to have snow-packed roads,” Leake said. “You can get where you need to go, you just need to slow down a little bit.
“Its not July, you know.”
Leake added the cold will take the road salt mix more time to melt the snow and ice.
“It will take it a little longer to work, but it will work,” Leake said, adding temperatures are expected to get into the teens today. “We should be able to at least get wheel tracks in places where you get more traffic.”
NWS said more snow is expected on Tuesday night, with accumulations of one to three inches.
Illinois road conditions can be checked here and cancellations can be checked here.
On Interstate 55 near Elkhart, in Logan County, Illinois State Police shut down the northbound lanes when a jeep ran off right side of the road, struck a concrete overpass and rolled about 8 p.m. Monday.
Troopers said the highway was slippery and partially ice covered at the time. Police say the jeep’s driver, Tracy Blackert, 49, of Rapids City, was thrown from the vehicle even though she was wearing seatbelts. Blackert was injured and taken to a local hospital.
Eric Stock can be reached at eric.stock@cumulus.com.
