Severe weather ravages Kane, Lake county roads

Sheriff’s officials in Lake and Kane counties are warning drivers about hazardous driving conditions.

“The National Weather Service is calling for considerable snow and blowing, and we anticipate roadways again becoming drifted over and impassable,” Kane County Sheriff’s Lt. Pat Gengler said in a news release Saturday.

“If at all possible, stay off the road,” Lake County Sheriff’s Sgt. Scot Kurek said Saturday. “Last night was a horrible night for being on the road. We anticipate that tonight with the weather changing and the snow, it will be bad for travel again.”

Drifting snow and strong winds from the south made driving difficult on Route 173, Peterson Road and Route 60 in Lake County, Kurek said. Atkinson Road between St. Mary’s Road and Route 43, near North Chicago, was shut down for a short time Friday night because of impassable road conditions.

In Kane County, roads affected by the severe weather conditions included Route 47, Route 20, Plank road, Route 64 and Route 38, Gengler said.

Driving at night in rural areas of Kane County can be especially challenging, because there is nothing to break the wind and no lights to provide illumination, he added. At one point on Friday night, 20 to 30 cars were stranded along Route 72 west of Hampshire.

“People becoming stuck will need to be prepared to be in their vehicles for an extended period of time before help arrives,” Gengler said. “City streets may be in good shape, but as people travel into the western part of the county they should not expect to see similar conditions … Plows absolutely cannot keep up with it when it is blowing like that.”