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Winter weather is on the way, and Chicago drivers are bracing for what that means for their roadways. The National Weather Service Chicago took to social media to share a few tips for winter travel when “going on roads during a winter storm is unavoidable.”
Among the road trip safety tips, the National Weather Service recommends sharing travel plans with friends and family, winterizing the vehicle, checking road conditions, checking the weather forecast and packing an emergency supply kit. Officials added that drivers should “take it slow on bridges and overpasses…as patchy freezing drizzle may encourage a few sneaky slick spots to materialize this afternoon.” “Hazardous travel conditions will likely develop by late morning Saturday [January 1] and continue through Saturday night,” the National Weather Service Chicago wrote in a tweet. “Gusty winds could cause some blowing snow is possible Saturday night in open and outlying areas…
“A winter storm is expected to dump between 4 and 8 inches of snow across much of the region Saturday afternoon and night. Most intense snowfall and highest rates expected between 2 pm and 8 pm Saturday, when hourly snowfall rates of 1" per hour are possible at times.” The latest five-day forecast as of publication time on Friday (December 31) shows temperatures ranging from 21 to 38 degrees on Saturday, and 8 to 27 degrees on Saturday night.
To keep up with the latest weather updates and road safety tips, follow the National Weather Service Chicago on Twitter here.