Nick Vlahos,Chris Kaergard,JJ Bullock,Adam Duvall|Journal Star
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Two weeks after one winter storm barreled through Peoria, another is here.
Snow began to fall Thursday morning in the Peoria area and totaled 6.6 inches at the conclusion of the storm. Other, outlying areas near Peoria received more.
This blog will be updated regularly with updates regarding weather, cancellations and other storm-related news.
Peoria-area school closings: Theseschools have canceled class or gone remote
Business closings: These Peoria-area businesses are closing early or opening late because of winter weather
Friday
2:25 p.m.: Peoria parking ban will end early
Peoria's citywide street parking ban will end 12 hours sooner than originally announced.
Because of continued progress by plowing crews and the combination of sunlight acting on treated roads causing more snowmelt, the ban will end at 6 a.m. Saturday rather than 6 p.m., the city announced.
Vehicles left on the street during the parking ban have been subject to towing or ticketing.
Not all residential streets are cleared, however, so work by city road crews will continue, a news release from the city stated.
– Chris Kaergard
1:46 p.m.: I-39 reopened in both directions after 22-hour closure
Both lanes of Interstate 39 are now reopened to traffic near El Paso, according to Illinois State Police.
The southbound lanes reopened about 1:30 p.m., the agency said in a release. They were shut shortly before 3:15 p.m. Tuesday after a multi-vehicle pileup.
– Chris Kaergard
12:03 p.m.: I-39 reopens in one direction after multi-vehicle pileup
Interstate 39 reopened to northbound traffic near El Paso shortly before noon, Illinois State Police announced.Authorities had spent hours clearingaway stuck, stranded and damaged vehicles on that side of the roadway from a multi-vehicle crash Thursday afternoon.
Southbound I-39 remained closed to traffic.
Nineteen trucks and other commercial vehicles and nine passenger vehicles were involved in the wreck, state police previously said. The wreck then caused many other vehicles to slide off the roadway, and several loads of freight in trucks spilled onto the highway.
In a Facebook post earlier Friday, Woodford County Sheriff Matt Smith called the response to the incident "a once in a career type event." He credited swift response not only by sheriff's office and state police personnel, but also by other first-responders in El Paso, Minonk and Hudson and praised the teamwork among the multiple agencies for helping get stranded drivers and passengers to safety.
– Chris Kaergard
7 a.m.: Peoria road conditions 'snow covered but drivable'
Main roads in Peoria have been plowed and are "snow covered but drivable," according to the city's Public Works Department. Plow drivers have begun work on clearing residential streets, continuing work started overnight by non-Public Works crews contracted by the city.
But interstate highways around Peoria remained a mixed bag. According to an Illinois Department of Transportation website that monitors road conditions, both I-74 and I-474 in Peoria County had only limited ice and snow cover as of 6:45 a.m. Those same highways in Tazewell County remained more fully covered by ice and snow, as did other state-maintained roadways throughout the Tri-County Area.
Additional melt is expected on roadways throughout the day, with the weather expected to be sunny throughout the day and temperatures approaching or slightly exceeding the thawing mark by this afternoon.
Still, the city advised motorists to plan extra time for their drives and to continue to drive with caution on Friday.
— Chris Kaergard
6 a.m.: Illinois State Police provide more details about car pile up closing I-39
The crash that closed Interstate 39 near El Paso in Woodford County on Thursday afternoon initially involved 19 semi trucks and other commercial vehicles, as well as nine passenger vehicles, Illinois State Police said late Thursday evening.
But the crash then caused an undisclosed number of other vehicles to slide off the roadway, according to a state police news release.
The ensuing clean-up is expected to keep the highway closed between mileposts 5 and 22 "for an extended period of time, likely well into Friday," the release stated.
No injuries were reported in the crash, though several loads carried by trucks were spilled.
Twelve tow trucks operated throughout the night to clear the roadway, though all motorists involved were taken by state police troopers or other area law enforcement agencies to nearby warming shelters by shortly after 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
— Chris Kaergard
Thursday
7 p.m.: 100-vehicle wreck to close I-39 for 12 hours
Southbound Interstate 39 in most of Woodford County is to be closed for about 12 hours because of multiple crashes that involved more than 100 vehicles, according to the Illinois State Police.
The wrecks happened Thursday afternoon south of El Paso in the midst of the snowstorm.
"Together, with our local partners, we are diligently working to ensure motorists are safely escorted from the area to warming centers," a state police news release stated.
The southbound interstate is closed between Minonk and Normal. There were no known injuries among the wreckage, according to the El Paso Police Department.
— Nick Vlahos
6 p.m.: Contractors deployed to fight snow
While Peoria snow crews continue to fight snow on main roads, contracted snowplows will begin plowing residential streets across the city Thursday evening, according to a news release.
Contractors will plow at least one lane on residential streets.Peoria snowplow crews will move to residential areas once main roads are cleared.
Travelers are still being urged to drive with caution as temperatures are expected to drop into the single digits tonight.
City officials also reminded business owners that they could face fines of up to $100 if their sidewalks aren't cleared within 24 hours of when the snowfall ends.
City's rules: Peoria property owners have a 'responsibility' to clear their sidewalks, officials say
4 p.m.: Peorian shares story of being stuck on I-74
Peorian Aaron Chess, who once ran for City Council in the 1st District, was commuting back to Peoria from work in Bloomington when traffic came to a dead stop on Interstate 74 about halfway between the two cities.
That was about an hour ago, and in those 60 minutes Chess said traffic hasn't budged. He said getting stuck on the interstate in a snowstorm has been a "surreal" experience.
"I've always seen scenes like this in movies, read articles, but being in this predicament is eye-opening," Chess said.
At about 3:30 he witnessed two large tow trucks, the kind he's seen pull semis, pass him in traffic. But as to whether they were heading to address the stoppage keeping him stuck or to a different spot, all he could dofrom his spot on I-74 was guess.
The Woodford County Sheriff's Office said the interstate was closed westbound near Goodfield because of multiple crashes. I-39 was likewise closed southbound near El Paso because of crashes, one of which involved an Illinois State Police cruiser as well as approximately 100 other vehicles, according to ISP reports.
Chess said he's taken the time stuck on the interstate to "reflect on some things" and take some "quiet time" out there while he listens to music and traffic updates on the radio.
"Everything happens for a reason," Chess said. "Maybe getting stuck means I avoided an accident up the road."
His advice to anyone reading: Don't travel unless you have to.
"I'd advise you to stay home, these are some of the worst road conditions I've seen," Chess said.
— JJ Bullock
Westbound I-74 reopens in Downtown Peoria
Shortly after 3 p.m., lanes of westbound Interstate 74 reopened near Knoxville Avenue. They'd been closed about an hour before because of multiple vehicles stuck in the road amid blowing and drifting snow.
— Chris Kaergard
2:15 p.m.: Westbound I-74 closed at Knoxville
Westbound Interstate 74 near Knoxville Avenue in Downtown Peoria was closed temporarily because several vehicles were stuck in the road, according to the city. In that area, the interstate begins its climb up the Illinois River bluff.
Similar problems there were reported two weeks ago, when the Peoria area received between 10 and 14 inches of snow.
– Nick Vlahos
2:10 p.m.: Preliminary area snowfall reports
As of mid-afternoon, 3.1 inches of snow had been measured at Morton, according to the National Weather Service office in Lincoln. That was the highest total among few Tri-County area locations that had reported.
In Peoria, snowfall ranged from 1.3 to 1.6 inches. Those totals are unofficial. The official total is measured at the Peoria international airport.
A weather service spotter in Washington reported 1.1 inches of snow. The regional high spot was 4 inches at Colchester, located west of Macomb. Significant drifts were reported in that area.
– Nick Vlahos
1:45 p.m.: Peoria road conditions spark collision alerts
Collision alerts have been issued in Peoria, East Peoria and Peoria County.
Motorists involved in vehicle crashes that don't involve injuries, and where all vehicles are drivable, should exchange information and report the accident in person to the local police agency. They're asked to do so within 36 hours in Peoria and East Peoria, and within 48 hours within Peoria County.
— Chris Kaergard
1:40 p.m.: High school basketball regional title games postponed
All scheduled area IHSA girls basketball regional title games have been postponed because of the snowstorm. The new scheduled times for games can be found here.
— Adam Duvall
1 p.m.: Peoria plow crews focus on major streets as road conditions worsen
Peoria city officials are expecting snow to continue falling, possibly to the tune of 9 inches by the end of Thursday, according to the latest city road update.
Snow crews are still focusing on "primary roads" on all 17 snow routes, according to a news release from the city.Residential streets will begin getting plowed once primary streets are completed.
“The focus of our crews right now is to stay on the arterial roads," said Deputy Director of Public Works Sie Maroon."Our crews will continue their work on the primaries until the snow stops and the roads are clear.”
According to an Illinois Department of Transportation map, roads in Peoria have joined those in Tazewell and Woodford counties as being covered with ice and drifting snow.
— JJ Bullock
11:30 a.m.: Snow beginning to cover area roads
Peoria County highways were in good shape as snow was beginning to fall about lunchtime Thursday. Roads were reported as clear, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. The same was true for areas north and northwest of Peoria.
But the storm appeared to be affecting travel to the east, south and southwest.
Roads in Tazewell and western Woodford counties were covered with ice and/or snow, according to IDOT. That also was the case for highways in Mason County and in southern and central Fulton County.
In McDonough County, roads were mostly covered with ice and/or snow.
– Nick Vlahos
7:35 a.m.: Heaviest snow tracking south of Peoria
The snow forecast for Peoria has softened somewhat.
Peoria still is predicted to receive significant snowfall Thursday. But much of the heaviest stuff is tracking farther south than first anticipated, according to the National Weather Service office in Lincoln.
At least 3 inches of snow is anticipated in Peoria, with a maximum in the 5-to-9-inch range. Galesburg is at 2 to 6 inches, and Havana is at 5 to 11 inches.
Snow in Peoria was expected to be at its heaviest from about noon until about 6 p.m., per the weather service.
– Nick Vlahos
6:55 a.m.: Peoria road conditions
With snowfall not yet beginning and temperatures hovering at or above freezing, road conditions in the Peoria area remained clear and unobstructed during the start of the morning commute according to an Illinois Department of Transportation map of area roads.
— Chris Kaergard
6:50 a.m.: On-street parking ban in effect in Peoria
Although snow has yet to begin in Peoria, parking has been banned on city streets.
The ban went into effect at 10 p.m. Wednesday and is to last until 6 p.m. Saturday, according to the city public-works department. Residents are asked to move their vehicles to other locations, including driveways, but not into alleys.
Plowing plan: In Peoria, what roads get plowed soonest? Common snowplowing questions answered
Vehicles parked on any city street are subject to towing or a $50 ticket.
Alternative parking is available for free for residents at city-operated Downtown Peoria garages: the Jefferson and Niagara decks, and the Twin Towers garage. Free parking will be available there until 6 p.m. Saturday.
– Nick Vlahos
