UPDATED 10 a.m. | Forecasters say a winter storm is expected to bring as much as 9 inches of snow to parts of northern and central Illinois.
The National Weather Service had winter storm warnings in effect through Saturday evening in northwestern and central Illinois. NWS predicts wet and heavy snow with wind gusts of up to 35 mph that could cause tree branches to fall and cause power outages. Forecasters say the late season snowstorm will start out as a rain and snow mix but quickly change to moderate and at times heavy snowfall.
A winter storm warning is in effect until 10 p.m. Saturday for McLean County, with snow and sleet continuing throughout the day. There will be a very sharp range in snowfall amounts, with much lower totals south of Interstate 74, the National Weather Service reported. The snow will be wet and heavy, which will be very difficult to shovel, NWS reported.
The Winter Storm Warning has been expanded further south to include areas along and north of the I-74 corridor. Look for periods of heavy we pic.twitter.com/snRARY7qUt
— NWS Lincoln IL (@NWSLincolnIL) March 24, 2018
Parking bans are in effect in Bloomington and Normal until 7 a.m. Sunday. The Bloomington Public Library and McLean Court Arts Center are closed Saturday.
Motorists should expect slippery conditions and be extra cautious when driving. For regular updates on statewide road conditions, visit www.gettingaroundillinois.com. You can also follow IDOT on Facebook and Twitter.
"Although spring did begin this week, winter weather still can be a factor when traveling for the next few weeks," Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn said in a statement. "If you are driving this weekend in the areas anticipated to be impacted, please be prepared to slow down and add plenty of extra time into your schedules."
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