Area residents are digging themselves out of the 1st big winter storm of the season which left 10 to 15 inches of snow.
The major problem yesterday was the blowing snow which caused blizzard like conditions for Northern Illinois along with drifting on the roadways.
The majority of the roads remain snow packed. Ogle County roads were closed to motorists last night at around 9 due to the drifting of the snow. They are now open for traffic said Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle. Some rural roads may be down to 1 lane.
Area police agencies and fire departments were kept busy this weekend with numerous car crashes and people driving their vehicle in a ditch. There were no reports of any serious injuries from the accidents.
Area residents are reminded that the snow ordinance is in effect today for their community. People should park on the even numbered side of the street so that the plows can clear the pavement.
Heavy snowfall in Ogle and Lee Counties has caused multiple power outages. ComEd officials say hundreds of customers were in the dark at the peak of the outage. Affected area include Oregon, Amboy, Dixon, Sterling and Rock Falls.
All area schools are closed today. The complete list of cancellations can be seen on wrhl.net and 1023thecoyote.com.