State officials say more than 400,000 Illinois residents have registered to take part in the drill at 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday. More than 2 million people are registered in nine states.

The “Great Central U.S. ShakeOut” drill is aimed at helping people practice the “Drop, Cover and Hold On” procedures to be followed during an earthquake.

Residents are encouraged to drop to the floor, take cover under a piece of furniture and hold onto it.

Disaster officials say residents should also have an emergency kit outfitted with water, non-perishable food, flashlights and a first-aid kit, among other supplies.

Gov. Pat Quinn has proclaimed February Earthquake Preparedness Month in Illinois.

Learn more at www.iqesda.com

…Dense fog advisory now in effect until 3 PM this afternoon…

* timing…dense fog will continue through mid afternoon before
significant improvement. Visibility…dense fog will reduce visibility to under a quarter mile. Impacts…low visibility within the fog may make travel hazardous.

* Additional impacts…temperatures will be near or just below
freezing through the late morning…allowing fog to possibly
freeze on contact with the ground in places. As a result…area
roads may become slick. Motorists are urged to take extra time
to reach their destinations this morning.

Precautionary/preparedness actions…A dense fog advisory means visibilities will frequently be reduced to less than one quarter mile. If driving…slow down…use your headlights…and leave plenty of distance ahead of you.

courtesy: NWS, www.iqesda.com

Department of Transportation (DOT) crews will be closing the routes, periodically, while bridge I-beams are removed as part of a construction project. Both northbound and southbound lanes will be affected. The delays will be in effect between 10 pm and 6 am all three nights.

A wintry mix of precipitation is falling across portions of southern Ford…Iroquois and Benton counties in east central Illinois and Northwest Indiana. Light precipitation will continue to fall in the form of rain…freezing rain…and sleet across these areas through the early evening hours as temperatures hover around the freezing mark. This will lead to slippery conditions on the roadways. Motorists should remain alert for changing conditions.

courtesy: NWS, www.iqesda.com

The National Weather Service says it received reports of possible tornadoes in Arkansas, Dallas, Lonoke, Prairie and Cleveland counties Sunday night. There were no reports of any injuries.
The storms also brought hail and strong winds as they moved from Arkansas and into Illinois, Tennessee and Kentucky.
The storms were part of a system expected to threaten parts of the South and Midwest overnight. A tornado watch was in effect for parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Thunderstorms and lightning in Iroquois County produced just under an inch of rain at WGFA north of Watseka. Minor flooding and ponding on low-lying roadways was reported.

There was .70 recorded at Chatsworth. .69 at Crescent City, .56 at Milford and one-inch in Kankakee.

94.1 FM, WGFA

Westerly winds of 25 to 30 miles per hour with gusts up to 40 miles per hour are expected during daytime hours. Winds this strong will make travel hazardous for high profile vehicles traveling along north to south roadways. Any loose outdoor items may be tossed around by the stronger gusts. Also, damaged or weakened branches or trees could fall into power lines and could cause outages. The winds are expected to diminish by evening.

courtesy: NWS, www.iqesda.com

…Winter Weather Advisory in effect from 9 am this morning to midnight tonight…

Timing…snow will develop during the mid to late morning hours
and continue through this afternoon…then ending tonight. The
heaviest snowfall will occur this afternoon.

Accumulations…snowfall totals of 3 to 6 inches can be
expected with locally heavier totals possible. Hazards…snow could fall rather heavily at times resulting in reduced visibilities and snowfall rates of a half inch to inch per hour at times.

* Impacts…accumulating snow will cause significantly increased
travel times…resulting in a particularly treacherous commute
this afternoon. In addition…very cold temperatures in the
teens will make salt less effective making it harder for Road
crews to keep roads clear of snow and ice. The snow will also
result in significant disruptions to air travel as well.

Precautionary/preparedness actions…

A Winter Weather Advisory for snow means that periods of snow will cause primarily travel difficulties. Be prepared for snow covered roads and limited visibilities…and use caution while driving.

courtesy: NWS, www.iqesda.com