Major pileup snarls commute in Chicago amid wintry conditions
By
Kevin Byrne, AccuWeather senior editor
Published Apr 15, 2020 11:25 AM EST
At least 14 people were injured in a massive pileup after light snowfall fell in Chicago, Illinois, on April 15.
A massive pileup involving nearly 60 vehicles occurred on the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago on Wednesday morning.
The Chicago Fire Department first reported the accident around 6 a.m. CDT, and said low traction on the expressway caused multiple collisions.
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The fire department said 14 patients were transported to three nearby hospitals, but none of the injuries were said to be life-threatening. At least 32 other patients were treated and opted not to be transported, fire department official said.
A photo from the crash scene showed multiple cars with a coating of snow.
Snow covers cars involved in a pileup collision on the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago on Wednesday morning, April 15, 2020. (Chicago Fire Department)
A winter weather advisory was in effect for the Chicago area Wednesday morning. Numerous accidents were still being reported around the Windy City as of 7 a.m. CDT, the fire department said.
"Do not use Kennedy at this time. Be aware of low traction on all expressways and some surface streets," the fire department said.
As of 10:15 a.m. CDT Wednesday about 1-1.5 inches of snow was reported around Chicago.
"A weak disturbance slid by just to the south of Chicago Tuesday night, bringing some mainly light snow to the region toward dawn on Wednesday," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda said, adding that the snow arrived during what is usually the coldest portion of the day, allowing road surfaces to cool just enough through the night to be able to turn icy once the snow fell on them.
"It's likely that the snow melted initially and then refroze into a sheet of black ice," he said. "This is often a cause of large interstate pileups."
Even though accumulations have generally been light across the region, it just goes to show that any thin coating of snow or ice can turn very hazardous, according to Sojda. Roads can still get icy, especially during and just after a snowfall even during the middle of April, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski added.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Winter Weather
Major pileup snarls commute in Chicago amid wintry conditions
By Kevin Byrne, AccuWeather senior editor
Published Apr 15, 2020 11:25 AM EST
At least 14 people were injured in a massive pileup after light snowfall fell in Chicago, Illinois, on April 15.
A massive pileup involving nearly 60 vehicles occurred on the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago on Wednesday morning.
The Chicago Fire Department first reported the accident around 6 a.m. CDT, and said low traction on the expressway caused multiple collisions.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The fire department said 14 patients were transported to three nearby hospitals, but none of the injuries were said to be life-threatening. At least 32 other patients were treated and opted not to be transported, fire department official said.
A photo from the crash scene showed multiple cars with a coating of snow.
Snow covers cars involved in a pileup collision on the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago on Wednesday morning, April 15, 2020. (Chicago Fire Department)
A winter weather advisory was in effect for the Chicago area Wednesday morning. Numerous accidents were still being reported around the Windy City as of 7 a.m. CDT, the fire department said.
"Do not use Kennedy at this time. Be aware of low traction on all expressways and some surface streets," the fire department said.
As of 10:15 a.m. CDT Wednesday about 1-1.5 inches of snow was reported around Chicago.
"A weak disturbance slid by just to the south of Chicago Tuesday night, bringing some mainly light snow to the region toward dawn on Wednesday," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda said, adding that the snow arrived during what is usually the coldest portion of the day, allowing road surfaces to cool just enough through the night to be able to turn icy once the snow fell on them.
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"It's likely that the snow melted initially and then refroze into a sheet of black ice," he said. "This is often a cause of large interstate pileups."
Even though accumulations have generally been light across the region, it just goes to show that any thin coating of snow or ice can turn very hazardous, according to Sojda. Roads can still get icy, especially during and just after a snowfall even during the middle of April, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski added.
Report a TypoKeep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.