More Bad Winter Weather Forces Schools and Businesses to Close in Central IL

March came in like a lion as central Illinois was hit again with more bad weather as ice, sleet, and snow moved into the area. Schools and businesses were forced to close or shut down early because of hazardous driving conditions on the roadways. Many schools in the area such as Arcola, Arthur, Tuscola, Mattoon, Charleston, Effingham, Atwood, and others were closed before the day even began. Community colleges also closed, and universities canceled their classes for the evening. The weather also put an abrupt halt to activities such as preschool screenings, rehearsals, board meetings, sporting events, and other important meetings for cities too. The Moultrie County courthouse closed again also, for the second time this winter season.

State police districts said that all roads were passable, but the slick conditions made the roads slippery and they cautioned that all drivers take their time while traveling to their destinations. They were also letting everybody know that they should call ahead to be sure that their events weren't canceled due to weather.

Because of the back to back wintery weather in the central Illinois area, city workers in Champaign found themselves with a shortage of salt to cover the ice-stricken roads. While their ice was withering to about 1000 tons left, they were forced to begin mixing it with sand to make the roads more easy to travel on. The sand worked just as well as the salt, but city workers would have to come back later to sweep the roads.

While some of the roadways among Effingham, Quincy, Rockford, and the Chicago area were clear of ice and snow, as stated by Illinois website for road conditions, other areas such as Champaign, Bloomington, Alton, and Springfield were still covered in ice and snow into the early evening.