(This story has been updated with new information.)
The Springfield area has received right around three inches of snow since just before noon on Jan. 24, but frigid temperatures the last couple of days are hampering how Public Works crews are dealing with its removal.
The latest forecast from the National Weather Service in Lincoln indicates anywhere from 5 to 8 inches of snow for the Springfield area this weekend, with parts further south in Springfield getting anywhere between 8 to 12 inches.
Springfield was under a winter storm warning as of 9 a.m. Saturday and goes until midnight Sunday night, the NWS said.
How Public Works is dealing with snow
Public Works Director Dave Fuchs said snow plows addressing the main streets around Springfield on Saturday have been running in tandem.
Driving pavements were cold to begin with as the storm hit, so with motorists pushing down on a light powdery snow, it immediately melts but quickly refreezes, leaving a thin layer of ice on a lot of things, Fuchs said.
“(The light snow) tends to swirl around the truck and some of it lands back in the lane of traffic,” he pointed out. “We’re running one (plow) in front and the other right behind in the next lane, so the inside lane pushes it to the outside lane, and the outside lane pushes it to the curb.
“We’ve made progress. It seems to be the most effective (way) rather than running singles, so we’ve been doing that as often as we can.”
The plan for Sunday
With more snow on the way for Sunday, Fuchs said crews will continue to work in tandem as much as possible.
“Everything is slick. It’s so cold, everything ends up freezing,” he said.
A saving grace is that the storm is hitting on the weekend, Fuchs added.
“There is traffic on the weekends, but it’s variable. At least on the weekend, people have a little more discretion on when they leave and how long they stay out for,” he said.
Snow emergency declared
The city of Springfield declared a snow emergency, starting Saturday, Jan. 24 at 7 a.m.
The snow emergency will end at noon on Monday, Jan. 26.
Residents must remove all parked vehicles from marked snow emergency routes to ensure city crews can clear the roads.
“This decision has been made in anticipation of the snowstorm that is set to bring a large amount snowfall,” wrote the city’s director of communications, Amanda Brown.
Brown reminded drivers to watch for snow removal crews and allow them room to do their work. She also reminded people clearing private parking lots and sidewalks to not plow snow into the streets.
When will it snow in Illinois?
Central Illinois will be hit with two rounds of snowfall this weekend, with the second round likely causing more accumulation. The first round of snowfall is supposed to hit Saturday morning and end Saturday evening, with the second round starting early Sunday morning and ending that evening.
The bulk of accumulation is expected to hit Chicago late Saturday night through midday Sunday, mainly near and east of I-55.
How much snow will Springfield get?
Here’s how much snow the following Illinois cities are forecast to receive this weekend:
Illinois snowfall forecast
Cold temperatures
The low temperature for Springfield Friday into Saturday was recorded at -4 degrees, off the record of -13 degrees.
The low for Springfield for Saturday into Sunday was predicted to be 8 degrees, with wind chill values around -1 to -7.
City Tournament on at BoS
The Girls and Boys City Basketball Tournament remains as scheduled at the Bank of Springfield Saturday.
It’s the final night of the tournament.
There are two girls games–Sacred Heart-Griffin vs. Lanphier at 3 p.m. and Southeast vs. Springfield High at 6:30 p.m.
On the boys side, Southeast plays SHG at 4:45 p.m. with SHS taking on Lanphier at 8:30 p.m.
Saturday is also Unity Day with students from all four high schools coming together for a number of activities.
Warming centers in Springfield
Municipal Center East (800 E. Monroe St.): Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon. to Fri.
Municipal Center West (300 S. Seventh St.): Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon. to Fri.
Lincoln Library (326 S. Seventh St.): Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mon. to Weds.; 10 a.m. to 5p.m., Thurs.-Sat.; 1 to 5 p.m., Sun.
Office of Community Relations (1450 Groth St.): Open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mon. to Fri.
Helping Hands (2200 Shale St.): Overnight shelter open daily, 5 p.m. to 7 a.m.; Warming center open 24 hours; day services open daily, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Salvation Army Main Campus (1600 Clear Lake Ave.): Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mon. to Fri.
Washington Street Mission (408 N. Fourth St.): Open 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. and 12:30-4:30 p.m., Mon. to Fri.; 8 to 10 a.m., Sat.
St. John’s Breadline (430 N. Fifth St.): Open 8 to 9 a.m. for breakfast and 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. for lunch, Mon. to Fri.; 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Steven Spearie, Tom Ackerman and Hannah Hudnall contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Winter storm: Snow begins falling in Springfield. How much is expected?
Reporting by Steven Spearie, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
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