First the ice, now the winds - and power outages

The National Weather Service says the wintry mix of ice and snow that blanketed the area will be followed by strong winds this afternoon and tonight, and power outages are already happening.

ComEd said 12,000 were without power in Northern Illinois as of 4 p.m. 80,000 customers were affected by the weather today, it said.

Area> with heavy ice accumulation on power lines and tree limbs will be especially susceptible, the weather service said. The region could see wind gusts of 40 mph to 50 mph, as well as snow showers developing after 1 or 2 p.m. with minor accumulations, according to the weather service.

Aurora Airport reported half-an-inch of ice this morning. O'Hare and DuPage airports recorded more than four-tenths of an inch.

Numerous accidents were reported due to the slick conditions in the area.

A wind advisory for the area starts at 2 p.m. today and ends at 3 a.m. Wednesday.