DeKALB – The Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois State Police are warning residents of a major winter storm for late Monday that will create hazardous driving conditions across the state. 

Throughout Illinois, intense periods of heavy snow and continued bitter cold should be anticipated, creating extremely slick conditions and poor visibility. The National Weather Service issued a storm warning for Monday and Tuesday, predicting the heaviest snow to fall late this afternoon and evening.

Monday night will see patchy blowing snow with a low around 1 degree and wind chill values as low as -18. The DeKalb area could see new snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches.

On Tuesday, there’s a 40% chance of snow, mainly before 7 a.m. It will be partly sunny, with a high near 16 degrees and wind chill values as low as -15. 

“As always, our team at IDOT will be out on the roads around the clock, but if you can stay indoors, please do, especially during the overnight hours,” said Omer Osman, acting Illinois transportation secretary, in a Monday news release. “Conditions at times could be treacherous, with the cold and wind reducing the effectiveness of the materials we use to treat snow and ice. Expect extremely long travel times and always prepare your vehicle in the event you are stranded.”

Due to the incoming snowstorm, NIU canceled in-person classes after 5 p.m. Monday for all of its satellite locations, according to a Monday email from the university. Instructors will reach out with more details on canceled in-person classes. The university expects to resume normal operations Tuesday.