Winter Storm Ravages Town

A relentless winter storm is hitting central Illinois today. The storm, which started early this morning, is expected to dump around four inches of snow in the Danville, Illinois area. Because the snow is falling at such a fast pace, snow plows have been unable to clear the roads. Route 1, the most traveled road in Danville, is completely under snow cover and has been reduced to one lane either way. Drivers are encouraged to take precautions when driving in these dangerous conditions.

Most area schools are on an early dismissal schedule today, with many evening activities cancelled. Danville Area Community College has cancelled all classes after 3:30pm and many local community groups have rescheduled evening activities. Motorists are being urged to stay off of the roads whenever possible. This warning also extends to Interstate 74, where, as WCIA reported, a massive pileup occurred near the Lincoln Street exit in Champaign.

Central Illinois is still in the path of the snow storm, which stretches east to Springfield. Residents should expect bitterly cold temperatures to continue for the next few days. Temperatures are expected to clear 20 degrees tomorrow, but the wind chill is again expected to be in the single digits. Luckily, according to the Weather Channel, wind speeds are not expected to be above 10 mph, which means the threat of blizzard-like conditions should be minimal. It is important to keep in mind, however, that even minimal wind speeds can cause blowing and drifting snow on rural roads, of which there are many in this area.

The ten day forecast for the area shows that snow is not a threat until Tuesday, which should give the community plenty of time to recover from this storm. No power outages have been reported in the area, though as conditions worsen, that could change. The worst of the storm should clear the area by 6pm. Road conditions may worsen overnight as the temperature drops; however, road workers should have the roads cleared before the morning commute tomorrow.

Local activities and businesses that have been cancelled or closed include the Oakwood boys' basketball game, the ATA black belt academy, the county courthouse and annex, Meals on Wheels and Bingo at the Civic Center. More cancellations are certain to appear, so area residents are urged to visit local websites such as Danville's radio station, D102 (www.wdnlfm.com/cancel.html) and watch WCIA for real time updates to the cancellation list.

Sources

WCIA www.illinoishomepage.net

The Weather Channel www.weather.com

D102 www.wdnlfm.com