Slippery roads force evening commuters to drive cautiously during Friday snowfall
Snow began falling in the metro-east about 1 p.m. Friday as 1 to 3 inches of accumulation were predicted in the St. Louis region.
“Plan on slippery road conditions,” the National Weather Service said in a winter weather advisory. “The hazardous conditions could impact the evening commute.”
The St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency warned drivers that an overpass on Illinois 161 at Schoenberger Creek between Belleville and Fairview Heights was iced over.
At 6:30 p.m., Illinois State Police District 11 posted that troopers had responding to at least 41 car accidents on roads and highways all over the district, which covers Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties. “Please, slow down,” the post cautioned before offering safe driving tips.
The Illinois Department of Transportation’s District 8 said that snow clearing trucks were out in all of its counties. The post said that there had been reports of “spotty” snow coverage on bridges in the metro-east and cautioned drivers to give plow operators room to work on the roads.
Belleville West and Belleville East high schools closed an hour early at 2:30 p.m.
The weather advisory ends at midnight Friday. Additional light snow accumulations as well as a light glazing of ice are expected on Saturday night into Sunday.
This storm is not predicted to produce as much snow as the Friday, Jan. 11 storm that yielded 9 to 12 inches in the St. Louis metro area.
For more school closings, check out the list at KSDK-Channel 5.
This story was originally published February 15, 2019 at 1:33 PM.
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