The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for Kane County that remains in effect until early Wednesday morning.

Kane County Department of Transportation maintenance superintendent Mike Way said the storm coming in two waves was a blessing for crews plowing the roads. KCDOT crews were “blades down” by 3 a.m. this morning, and were able to take a short break around 7 a.m. before the second wave began.

Way estimated two to three inches fell early this morning, with four to six still to come. He said he expects the heaviest snow to let up around 9 p.m. with lighter flakes falling until midnight.

Way said so far, snow accumulation has been mild and all county roads are passable, but this afternoon there is a chance for wet heavy snow and winds of up to 40 mph, so KCDOT’s fleet of 25 plows will stay on the roadways through the evening rush.

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James (right) and Dylan Carroll shovel their Geneva driveway after an overnight snowfall on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (Sandy Bressner)

KCDOT is one of several local agencies maintaining roads today. Geneva deputy clerk Jeanne Fornari said their public works department is running its usual routes and has reported nothing out of the ordinary. Fornari said Geneva residents should be mindful of the parking ban that will be in effect until the early hours of Jan. 10 so city plows can clear residential streets throughout the evening.

St. Charles public works manager AJ Reineking said they have had 17 plows out on the roads since around 8 p.m. last night and they plan to continue until at least midnight. He said while it has been milder than expected and snow isn’t sticking to the ground yet, they are working to keep the streets clear in preparation for a possible freeze-up later tonight.

The Kane County Sheriff’s Office was prepared for the worst, with an emergency snow operations plan in place late last night, but called it off before the second wave today after an uneventful morning.

Undersheriff Amy Johnson said the department was well prepared and had plenty of manpower on stand-by overnight, but there wasn’t a need as no crashes were reported. She said so far today it has been business as usual, as deputies responded to three incidents during rush hour, but nothing serious or out of the ordinary.

Johnson said the emergency snow operations plan was cancelled because they are seeing less snow and traffic incidents than originally anticipated, but said they could easily put it back in effect should conditions worsen.

National Weather Service meteorologist Ricky Castro said the lack of accumulation is in part due to air temperatures staying above freezing, but that could change as we get into the evening. While snowfall has been mild for most of Kane County, Castro said the northern and western regions of the county may see colder temperatures and stronger winds into the afternoon and evening, with potential for up to five inches still to come.

Castro said temperatures will likely drop below freezing early this evening, which is when he expects Kane County to see the worst of the storm. He said the snowfall will likely end shortly after midnight tomorrow morning.

Castro said while the snow will let up before the morning, low temperatures and high winds throughout the night will create an opportunity for more accumulation on roadways and could allow icy spots to develop. He said Kane County motorists should keep icy roads in mind when leaving for their commute tomorrow morning, especially on less traveled roads.

Looking ahead, Castro said the NWS is monitoring more potential light snow tomorrow night and into early Thursday morning, as well as the possibility of an even bigger system arriving Friday.