Although partly sunny conditions are expected Friday, it will be awhile before our area recovers from this week’s storm. Blustery conditions are expected to continue tonight with north winds gusting to around 30 miles per hour. That will cause blowing and some drifting of snow to continue even as the snow comes to an end.
Overnight temperatures are forecast to drop to the single digits as wind-chill values drop below zero. And the cold weather will continue Friday and into the weekend.
Danville Public Works Director Carl Carpenter says crews finished secondary arterial roads early Thursday before doing residential areas. ‘’We are doing a pass in and out of all residential first thing today,’’ said Carpenter. He added once crews have done those runs they planned to return to secondary arterials. The main arterials have trucks addressing them all day.
Carpenter added this morning that there was still a lot of blowing and drifting, especially on east/west roads.
Meanwhile, although traffic was moving along Interstate 74 and other highways in the Danville area today…it is moving slowly. And Illinois State Police continued to encourage motorists to stay off the roads if possible. There have been numerous slide-offs of vehicles along the highways. And at times, State Police and Vermilion County Sheriff’s Police have dealt with jack-knifed semis. The occupants of those vehicles have been transported to locations where they can get safely out of the weather.
And once again, Illinois State Police are urging drivers to use extreme caution when approaching stopped emergency vehicles along highways. The law in Illinois requires motorists to pull over and slow down in those areas. On Wednesday, three Illinois State Police squad cars were hit by vehicles as they were stopped assisting motorists in the storm. Two troopers had to seek medical attention but they were not seriously hurt.
Danville Public Works Director Carl Carpenter says at least one more 12 hour shift is planned, which will keep crews at work until 7:00 p.m. Friday.
(In the photo Jordan Miller of Danville clears snow from a driveway Thursday, February 3, 2022.)
