Icy roads cause crashes in Lake, McHenry

A slew of crashes blamed on treacherous road conditions kept Lake County emergency vehicles hopping early Monday morning.

Crashes were reported in Gurnee, Lake Villa, Antioch and Lake Zurich, as motorists encountered black ice on roadways after heavy Sunday rains and falling temperatures overnight.

A five-car crash about 6 a.m. in Grayslake closed Route 83 for about an hour, while a jackknifed milk truck in Spring Grove shut down Route 12 for about an hour.

None were serious, officials said, and resulted in some road closures and minor delays.

Motorists could see a different winter hazard for the Tuesday morning rush hour. The National Weather service has issued a winter weather advisory until 6 a.m. as temperatures continue to fall and snow moves in. The forecast calls for an accumulation of 3 to 5 inches overnight.

In addition, a flood advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service for areas along the Fox and Des Plaines rivers through Wednesday.

Officials said readings at New Munster, WI., show water levels on the Fox River will crest to about two-and-a-half feet over flood stage. That means some low-lying property along the Fox River — north and south of the Chain O' Lakes — could be affected.

The National Weather Service predicted the Des Plaines River should crest less than one-foot over flood stage at both Russell Road and Lincolnshire. That could be high enough to overflow onto Londonberry Lane in Lincolnshire, but should not affect homes.