Cold, poor visibility warned in latest forecast

The National Weather Service updated its winter weather advisory for northern Illinois, saying dangerous cold and poor visibility caused by wind gusts would begin Tuesday evening and extend into Wednesday evening.

Drivers in northeastern Illinois could experience pockets of near white out conditions along north-south roads, the forecast said.

A separate alert warned of river ice and ice jams on the Rock River and Fox River and its tributaries. The DuPage, Des Plaines, Kankakee and Vermilion rivers are similarly affected. Elevated river levels and localized flooding are possible, the weather service said.

The sustained winds — 20 to 35 mph expected — are a big concern for motorists, especially for those with high-profile vehicles, said T.J. Gunkel of the NWS-Quad Cities station. Wind chills could be 20 below zero.

Blowing snow leads to low visibility and possible drifting, and frostbite for those with longer exposure to the cold, he added.

Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Carroll, Whiteside, Rock Island, Henry, Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, Lake, Lee, Ogle, DeKalb and Kane counties could see conditions develop by 9 p.m.

Sterling in Whiteside County is expected to see temps dip to 9 degrees on Tuesday evening and down to 1 by Wednesday evening.

The cold will continue: Lows of -10 on Thursday and -2 on Friday.

In addition, the following counties — DuPage, La Salle, Kendall, Grundy, Kankakee, Livingston, Iroquois, Ford, Cook, Will and places in Indiana — are under a hazardous weather outlook for the entirety of Tuesday.

Some snow flurries or light snow are possible.