Drivers urged to stay off roads in Illinois amid dust storms

Illinois officials are urging people not to travel amid dust storm warnings across parts of the state, including much of the Chicago area.

The National Weather Service warned that a wall of dust was moving from near St. Charles to the north of Chicago at 45 mph, causing less than a quarter mile visibility with damaging winds in excess of 60 mph.

The storm storm warning is in effect until 8:30 p.m. for southeastern Kane as well as DuPage and Cook counties.

A blowing dust advisory with localized visibility reductions below a mile is in effect for Boone, DeKalb, La Salle, Lee, Ogle, Winnebago, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, McHenry, and southern Will counties.

A wind advisory for parts of the Chicago area is in effect through Friday night, as heavy winds are also are affecting visibility in the area.

Officials have warned of life-threatening travel at multiple mile marker locations including:

I-88 between mile markers 96 and 140

I-90 between mile markers 42 and 103

I-94 between mile markers 26 and 61

I-290 between mile markers 1 and 29

I-294 between mile markers 26 and 61

I-355 near mile marker 12, and between mile markers 15 and 30

https://www.dailyherald.com/20250516/news/drivers-urged-to-stay-off-roads-in-illinois-amid-dust-storms/