Weather and road conditions
It’s Martin Luther King Day, a federal holiday for many as banks, schools and government offices will be closed today.
Those closings should help keep traffic down, which will be a good thing this morning as area roadways are still slick and hazardous in spots.
Three to five inches of snow fell around Southern Illinois Saturday night and into Sunday morning. That followed over an inch of rain in most locations earlier Saturday. Once the rain turned to snow, temperatures begin to drop very quickly causing ice to form under snow accumulations leading to very hazardous travel Saturday night and throughout the day Sunday.
While state, county, township and city crews worked throughout the day and night, there are still many area of roadways that are slick and hazardous this morning. Secondary country roads remain snow packed, with spots of black ice that motorists should be aware off and use caution while driving.
Warmer temperatures and rain in the forecast for Tuesday should help clear roadways, motorists are reminded to allow extra room between vehicles and slow down, especially approaching intersections, where traffic could make the roadways even slicker.
Local law enforcement agencies reminded residents to stay off the roads if possible, but if you must travel this morning, SLOW DOWN, use caution and be aware of your surroundings, in other words, pay attention, stay off your cell phones while driving and be sure to slow down.
