Howling winds, icy pellets, and snow are combining to shut down most activity in central Illinois. State Farm Insurance issued a closure notice for 2:00 p.m. in Bloomington Normal. Spokeswoman Missy Dundov says company facilities in the region will reopen at 6:00 a.m. Thursday.
Illinois State University and University Lab Schools closed at noon. Other schools also canceled classes. The McLean County Museum of History in Bloomington and Children's Discovery Museum in Normal are both closed for the afternoon.
Most activities are also cancelled for the evening including sports practices for schools, and the ISU Black History Cultural Dinner, which will be rescheduled.
Snow route parking bans are in place in the twin cities and public works departments are urging people to avoid on street parking in all locations to help ploughs do their work in a timely way.
The National Weather Service Winter Storm Warning for the Bloomington Normal area remains in effect until 9:00 p.m.
The storm could dump as much as 18 inches of snow on some areas before it's finished. The National Weather Service issued winter weather warnings Wednesday for an area stretching from Missouri northeast through Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, with blizzard warnings for counties in eastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana.
Forecasters say the storm could dump 12 to 18 inches of snow on parts of Indiana along the coast of Lake Michigan. Flint, Michigan, is expected to get 8 to 12 inches of snow. Motorists are being warned of zero visibility at times on roadways.
Chicago has deployed 140 snowplows to clear roads during the evening rush hour. Wind gusts of up to 50 mph are expected in areas.
