Snow causes slick roads, visibility problems

Snow flurries fell across the suburbs Monday afternoon, snarling midday traffic but resolving before the rush hour push, officials said.

Most of the area saw about a half-inch of accumulated snow, with .4 inches at O’Hare International Airport and the region’s highest of .7 inches in Elk Grove Village, meteorologists said.

Additional flurries may fall Tuesday afternoon but won’t likely amount to much, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Ben Deubelbeiss.

Monday’s snowfall created slick roads and limited visibility throughout the area with numerous fender-benders reported.

Slick roads apparently led to a FedEx semitrailer truck jackknifing on the westbound lanes of the Jane Addams Tollway, shortly after noon. The driver lost control at Arlington Heights Road and tied up two out of the four lanes, Illinois State Police Sgt. Mark Pilgrim said, adding no one was injured.

Illinois State Police reported numerous crashes with no major injuries, while police throughout McHenry, Lake and Cook counties dealt with spin outs and other weather-related crashes.

Meteorologists expect another storm front to move through the area Tuesday, with flurries in the afternoon.

Nationally the storm has been blamed for at least eight deaths in the West and is expected to bring freezing rain and sleet to parts of Texas as it continues making its way through the Southwest before moving east ahead of Thanksgiving.

Meteorologists said they expected the Arctic mass to head south and east and threaten plans for Tuesday and Wednesday as people hit the roads and airports for some of the busiest travel days of the year.

More than 300 flights were canceled at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, representing about one-third of the scheduled departures, and a spokeswoman said de-icing equipment had been prepared as officials planned for the worst in a flurry of conference calls and meetings.

“It’s certainly going to be a travel impact as we see the first few people making their way for Thanksgiving,” weather service meteorologist Tom Bradshaw said.

Ÿ The Associated Press contributed to this report.