Snow Makes Roads Hazardous, But Schools Stay Open
IDOT's map of Illinois highway conditions Wednesday morning. Red indicates roads that are snow or ice covered. Yellow indicates patches of ice and snow. IDOT
Schools were staying open Wednesday, despite 2 to 5 inches of snow that fell across downstate Illinois Tuesday night.
But while class is in session, the roads can be treacherous. The Champaign County Emergency Management Agency reported Wednesday morning at least six crashes on interstate highways in the county, including one crash with injuries on I-57 in Champaign. in the 8 o'clock hour, traffic was backed up on north-bound I-57 south of Tuscola, due to an accident there.
IDOT says interstate highways 74, 57, 55 and 72 were all snow or ice covered in east-central Illinois on Wednesday morning
Three inches of snowfall were measured in Champaign. Decatur received 2.6 inches. And 2.3 inches of snow were reported in Terre Haute, Indiana.
The cities of Champaign and Urbana both said they were ready to take quick action to keep the streets clear. Both cities could declare that sidewalk snow removal rules were in effect, requiring property owners in designated area to clear their walks of snow and ice by a specified deadline.
And the University of Illinois said Tuesday that its crews would be ready to clear campus streets and sidewalks, with the goal of keeping the Urbana campus open and accessible.