Close to five inches of snow fell overnight across the NIU and DeKalb community, the first major snowfall of the season.

The NIU Weather Department had issued a winter storm warning to the campus via its Web site by Tuesday evening. The bulletin was issued after the National Weather Service issued a snow advisory that will remain in effect until noon today.

The DeKalb area expected between 3-5 inches of snow in this storm, according to the snow advisory.

As of press time, there had only been a few minor incidents due to the weather called into the DeKalb Fire Department, said Greg Hoyle, battalion chief for the DeKalb Fire Department.

“We’re just responding as they come in,” Hoyle said shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday night. “To this point, it has been relatively quiet for us.”

The DeKalb Police Department also had to deal with minor incidents throughout the evening.

The road crews began plowing major streets around 6 p.m. Tuesday, and beginning this morning, “they will be plowing the side streets,” said Sgt. Jason Leverton of the DeKalb Police Department, adding that drivers should be careful taking to the roads today.

“In the morning, if it’s not necessary to travel, wait until later [today],” Leverton said.

Snow routes will most likely be enforced as of this morning, Leverton said.

“Cars should be moved off of the streets immediately,” Leverton said.

The snow routes automatically go into effect when there’s two or more inches of snow, he said.

NIU President John Peters told the Northern Star last December that historically, NIU does not close unless the storm is dangerous enough to warrant it.

In closing the school, Peters and other university officials look at a number of factors including the severity of the storm, if the Huskie Bus Line can run and whether the parking lots are usable.

NIU closed for the second time in 11 years last December after a storm dropped more than a foot of snow in DeKalb.