©2011 Galesburg Broadcasting Co.
| Freezing Rain Creates Dangerous Travel Conditions in the Region |
posted at 6:25 a-m 12/15/8
updated at 10:00 a-m 12/15/8
After temperatures that rose into the 50s on Sunday, much of Illinois experienced a sudden blast of winter weather as a cold front swept through.
Sunday's unseasonably warm weather disappeared and was followed by freezing rain, sleet and light snow. The plunging temperatures were accompanied by winds gusting up to 45 miles per hour.
The National Weather Service office in Lincoln reports there was less than a quarter-inch of sleet followed by less than an inch of snow, but it fell on roads already iced over from freezing rain.
District 7 State police in East Moline, which covers Knox, Henry, Mercer and Rock Island counties, says the weather conditions are extremely hazardous for traveling. Authorities say the drastic drop in temperatures and the freezing precipitation that followed caused ice covered roads throughout the region.
The Illinois Department of Transportation at 5 a-m Monday reported Interstate 74 from Peoria to the Quad Cities 75 percent snow or ice covered. That was also the case for Interstates 474, 80 into the Quad Cities and 280, as well as Routes 34 and 41.
Police say many vehicles have ended up in ditches. Authorities urge drivers to slow down, allow extra time, give extra room to vehicles in front of you and always buckle up.
The National Weather Service says Monday will be extremely cold with a high temperature of 13 degrees combined with wind speeds between 15 and 20 miles an hour. The result is wind chill readings between 5 and 15 below zero.
|
|
| 12 14 08 by Newsroom |
Click here for the WGIL News Archive
Click here for national news
The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.
