Disaster Declared After 18 Inches Of Snow Dumped On Some Areas

ILLINOIS — Gov. JB Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation for all 102 counties in Illinois after snowstorm that started over the weekend and is lasting into Tuesday morning dumped more than 18 inches of snow on some areas. Cook County was hit the hardest, but other areas, including parts of Will County, got as much as 9 inches in some places.

Pritzker's office said the storm "blanketed the state with life-threatening wind chills, power outages and accumulating snow" as well as "extreme arctic temperatures affecting more than ten state." As of 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, around 7,000 Illinois households were without power, officials said.

"I have directed my administration to use all resources at our disposal to keep our communities safe amid dangerous and ongoing winter weather," Pritzker said in a statement. "We are in communication with local governments to ensure they have the support they need in disaster response and recovery operations. We are also working with our federal partners to pursue federal assistance to help communities recover and to do what we can to protect ratepayers from soaring utility bills."

Pritzker urged Illinois residents to take the extreme weather seriously and check in on their neighbors.

Winter storm warnings were in place through noon Tuesday in Cook County and through 9 a.m. in DuPage, most of Will, Grundy and Kendall counties. A winter weather advisory was also in place in McHenry County until 9 a.m.

The heavy snowfall forced some school districts to close buildings, but many were still requiring students to log on for remote learning instead of a snow day. Trash pickup was also cancelled in some areas due to the weather.

The National Weather Service listed these snowfall totals as of late Tuesday morning:

Cook County

• Oak Park - 18.2 inches
• Evanston – 18 inches
• Midway Airport – 17.7 inches
• Forest Park - 17.3 inches
• Albany Park - 16 inches
• Wilmette – 16 inches
• Harwood Heights - 15 inches
• Lake View - 14.5 inches
• Oak Lawn - 14.5 inches
• Homewood - 14 inches
• Northbrook - 9.7 inches
• The Loop - 7.8 inches
• Palos Park - 7.5 inches
• O’Hare Airport – 7.5 inches

Will County:

• Lockport - 8.2 inches
• Romeoville - 7.8 inches
• Mokena - 7.8 inches
• Frankfort - 7.2 inches
• Manhattan - 7.2 inches
• Joliet - 6.8 inches
• Bolingbrook - 6.5 inches
• Plainfield - 4.2 inches

DuPage County:

• Glen Ellyn – 6.6 inches
• Naperville - 5 inches
• Carol Stream - 3.4 inches

Kane County:

• St. Charles - 5.3 inches
• Batavia - 5.3 inches
• Elgin – 4.8 inches
• Aurora - 4.5 inches
• Elburn - 3.3 inches

Kendall County:

• Oswego - 5 inches

Lake County:

• Bannockburn – 8.3 inches
• Highwood –15.6 inches

Note: Not all towns are listed by the National Weather Service, and the numbers may not reflect the most up-to-date totals as snowfall continues in some areas.

Don't go out if you don't have to

The National Weather Service advised motorists to use caution, as blowing and drifting snow continued to reduce visibility on the roads. Localized heavy lake effect snowfall rates could also continue near Lake Michigan through the morning, with hazardous travel conditions due to snow-covered roads.

Authorities urged residents to:

• Consider postponing non-essential travel
• Bring an emergency kit if you must drive
• Check road conditions before leaving
• Take it slow when shoveling snow

The area could get more snow in the coming days, with light snow possible Wednesday night and more snow — most likely near the lake on Thursday.

Friday and Saturday are expected to be partly sunny with highs in the low 20s.

Winter safety tips

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency is offering the following tips to help households conserve energy while keeping winter safety a priority.

WINTERIZE YOUR HOME: Winterize your home to extend your fuel supply

• Insulate walls and attics
• Caulk and weatherize doors and windows
• Hang blankets over windows at night but let the sunshine in during the day
• Cover cracks around doors with rugs, newspapers, towels or other such material

• Stay indoors in a heated room as much as possible
• If you have no heat, close doors and vents in unused rooms and shut the doors
• Turn down your home’s thermostat just a few degrees and bundle up with layers or a thick blanket
• Lower the temperature on your home water heater a few degrees
• Avoid using large appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, or dryers
• Reverse your ceiling fan to turn clockwise, producing an updraft that will move the warm air that collects near your ceiling down to the rest of the room
• If using alternative heat from a fireplace, wood stove, space heater, etc., use safeguards and ensure proper ventilation to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning