Chicago, Detroit battle slick wintry mix as snow, ice blanket Midwest

04:47

Chicago faces icy conditions due to freezing rain

Millions of people in the Midwest and Great Lakes region were urged to take it slow on Tuesday morning as freezing rain and snow led to dangerous driving conditions.

CHICAGO – Millions of people in the Midwest and Great Lakes region faced a tricky Tuesday morning commute as ice and snow associated with a deadly ice storm impacted cities in the region like Chicago and Detroit.

Unlike what took place in parts of the Plains and mid-South on Monday, the duration of ice and freezing rain was shorter, meaning impacts were largely limited to slick roads and sidewalks, as well as on elevated surfaces.

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"Rain is set to slam the South, but it’s winter weather that’s still a concern," FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin said. "This is actually part of the warmup. You take the warm air and you push it into areas that were freezing cold, subfreezing, and it creates a setup for freezing rain."

And that’s exactly what the Windy City faced early Tuesday morning.

FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray was in Chicago on Tuesday and said conditions there were dangerous.

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"It’s beyond slick," Ray said Tuesday morning. "That’s an understatement as far as Chicago here this morning. And it’s raining, and the roads and sidewalks are very dangerous."

The National Weather Service office in Chicago said many untreated roads and sidewalks near and south of Interstate 88 were ice-covered Tuesday morning, and those who did venture out were advised to be careful and not to trust any shiny surfaces.

"If anyone thinks that they’re going to try and get into Chicago, not only on the roads, but even just trying to walk on all of these conditions and ice, they really need to reconsider as to whether or not they can work from home or just stay home," Ray continued.

Hundreds of schools, too, decided to close for the day or have a late start in the Chicago and Detroit areas because of the weather conditions.

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Temperatures in Chicago eventually rose into the mid-30s, allowing the freezing rain to transition to just plain cold rain.

The NWS said that after Tuesday's wintry mix, dense fog was expected by the evening. Then, there will be another period of rain on Wednesday.

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Temperatures in the Detroit area also rose into the mid-30s on Tuesday.

The NWS office in Detroit said a Winter Weather Advisory will remain in effect until 4 p.m. along and south of M-59 and until 6 p.m. along and north of Interstate 69.

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The storm system will remain mostly snow along and north of M-59, and that’s where the highest snow totals will be found. The NWS said stronger snow bands in the region could produce snowfall totals of 6 inches.

Freezing rain with some sleet fell south of I-69 to the Michigan-Ohio state line. That, the NWS said, will then transition to rain from south to north during the day on Tuesday.

The FOX Forecast Center said colder air in place helped snow to break out across much of Wisconsin, Michigan and the eastern Great Lakes, and all winter weather should wrap up later on Tuesday.

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Deadly ice storm slides across Plains, mid-South

01:22

Watch: Ice covers car, driveway in Bentonville, Arkansas

A dangerous ice storm is moving across the mid-South, and a video from Bentonville, Arkansas, shows a car and driveway coated in ice on Monday morning.

The deadly ice storm moved out of the Southwest and into the Plains and mid-South on Monday.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said it responded to hundreds of calls for service and crashes. At least 18 crashes resulted in injuries, and three fatalities were reported.

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Officials in Mississippi also reported a storm-related death on Monday in Marshall County. Emergency managers said the fatality marked the 12th winter weather-related death since Jan. 14.

Videos from the region showed cars off the road due to icy conditions, and other videos showed spinouts and crashes.

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01:14

Watch: Missouri firetruck solo-spinout on icy road

A neighbor screams in shock as she watches a firetruck lose control on an icy road in Imperial, Missouri. The truck does a 270 degree spin before you can hear it hit something off screen.

One of those videos was recorded in Imperial, Missouri, and showed a fire truck spinning out of control as it slid down an icy hill.

Another video showed several cars off the side of Interstate 57 in Kankakee, Illinois, south of Chicago on Monday.

01:39

Watch: Icy conditions lead to numerous crashes, spinouts on I-57 in Illinois

Video recorded on Interstate 57 in Kankakee, Illinois, shows several vehicles on the side of the road as an ice storm impacts millions of people from the mid-South to Midwest on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024.

Forecasters across the region had urged people to "stay home unless absolutely necessary" due to the dangerous travel conditions on local roads and highways.

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Quick bursts of heavy snow are possible Tuesday morning, but impacts should remain low. All winter weather should then clear out of the region by Tuesday evening.

In terms of snow totals, most areas will see less than an inch. However, some areas, like northern Michigan and portions of western and northern New York state, could pick up 1-3 inches of snow.