Snow Survival Guide: What's Canceled, How Are the Roads and Who Delivers Dinner

Looks like the typical Midwest winter weather is here to stay.

The National Weather Service has called a winter weather advisory and is predicting another round of snowfall throughout Friday, accompanied by temperatures dropping into single digits. The new snow accumulation could be between 3 to 5 inches, according to reports Friday afternoon.

The bulk of the snowfall will be landing north of I-80 with an expected accumulation of several inches throughout Northeast Illinois and Northwest Indiana, the NWS reports. Although high temperatures will be in the low 20s, sub-zero wind chills will linger, with wind gusts as high as 15 mph by Friday night, the service forecasts.

Reasturants That Deliver

• UPDATED (4:40 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20)

After dealing with a rush hour commute, you probably don't want to figure out what to do for dinner. And you certainly don't head back into the snow to dine out at a restaurant.

Thankfully, there are a slew of great restaurants in Frankfort willing to bring the food to you. Here's a list from our Patch Places business directory. Click on the link for hours and phone numbers. And after you're done, write a review in the directory on how they did. 

Also, make sure your tip your driver well if you do order out. These guys and gals really deserve it for braving the weather so you can stuff your face.

Missing a restaurant? Tell us in the comments section.

Closings, Cancellations and Delays

• UPDATED (2:47 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20)

Frankfort Park District: Open gym at the fitness center at Lincoln-Way East High School has been canceled. Also, After-school Hang Time at has been canceled.

The library's Friday Night Films has been canceled.  

Frankfort School District 157-C: All after-school activities are canceled for , and schools.

The district's Let's Get Dressed Up party has been canceled, as well as its karate classes that are held at Lincoln-Way North High School.

Joliet Junior College: The college is closing early at 2 p.m. This includes the Frankfort education center at .

Lincoln-Way High School District 210: All after-school activities, including sporting events, are canceled at , East, West and Central high schools.

Summit Hill School District 161: All after-school activities are canceled for , , , , , and schools.

Street Rules

• UPDATED (4:27 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20)

The  prohibits parking on local roads when a 2-inch snowfall occurs, so snow removal crews can plow. Also, residents should remove basketball hoops from the edge of driveways, and should not blow or shovel snow from driveways onto the streets.

Frankfort streets are divided into different jurisdictions. Here's how it breaks down:

• Village of Frankfort Public Works Department: These streets fall under this jurisdiction. 
• : All Frankfort Square roads fall under this jurisdiction.
• Green Garden Township: Steger Road from 80th Avenue to South Wirth Lane falls under this jurisdiction.
• Will County: These roads fall under this jurisdiction: Center Road, south of Laraway Road; and Laraway Road.
• Cook County: Harlem Avenue, north of Steger Road, falls under this jurisdiction.
• Illinois: U.S. Route 30 (Lincoln Highway) and Route 45 (LaGrange Road).

Road Conditions

• UPDATED (2:18 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20)

Driving around the village this afternoon, Frankfort roads were a bit slick, largely because the snow didn't really start coming down until about noon. Be careful navigating even the main drags until crews are able to better salt and remove the snow.

These readers posted road updates on the Frankfort Patch Facebook page.

From Zig Ziegler:

Harlem NB from Rt 30, is REALLY bad! Take your time folks, no need to rush in this mess.

From Suzi Voss:

Road salt is pretty much ineffective at temps below about 15 degrees (I'm a meteorologist) so even the main roads will be a frozen mess with this storm. The heaviest snow amounts will be coming down in mid to late afternoon, coinciding with rush hour commutes. The worst of it looks to be along the I-88 corridor but even the slightly lower amounts expected in our area down here will wreak havoc on the roads into the evening. If you have to be on the roads, allow a lot of extra time. 

LIVE MAP: Check the Traffic Situation Before You Begin Your Commute

In preparation for Friday's snow, the Illinois Tollway is putting its full fleet of 183 snowplows into action, a press release stated. All temporary lane closures also have been canceled from 7 a.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday to help with snow removal efforts, the release added.

Before you start your Friday commute, check Patch's live traffic map to see where the delays are. Commuters also can call the Tollway's customer line for road updates at 800-865-5394. Call *999 on your cell phone if you need roadway assistance. 

For updates of any possible delays, closings or cancellations, keep visiting the Frankfort Patch home page throughout the day. And leave your own tips and information about dangerous road conditions or accidents in the area by posting on our Facebook page.

Above all, remember to stay safe and stay warm out there. The following are some helpful snow travel tips provided by the Tollway:

• Clear snow and ice from all windows, mirrors and lights before you drive. Clearing all snow before you begin driving assures maximum vision of your surroundings and assists in reducing ice and snow buildup as you drive.
• Adjust speed to road conditions and traffic. Reducing speed during inclement weather conditions increases your ability to respond to the unexpected.
• Reduce speed on ramps and in cash lanes at toll plazas. Watch for lane designations on approach to the toll plaza; switching lanes close to the toll plaza is unsafe, especially during winter weather.
• Increase the interval between your vehicle and the one in front of you. By creating more distance between your vehicle and others, you decrease your chances of a collision because stopping distances increase as pavement conditions deteriorate.
• Avoid unnecessary lane changes. During heavy snowstorms, slush and packed snow build up in the area between traffic lanes. Abrupt or frequent lane changes may cause your vehicle to slide on the buildup and spin out of control.
• Keep away from snowplows. Should you encounter snowplows, the safest choice is to keep back and let them do their job. They travel at a speed of approximately 30 mph, so traffic delays should be expected. During periods of extremely heavy snow, Illinois Tollway snowplows will work in tandem to remove as much ice, slush and snow as possible from all lanes at once.
• Do not use the shoulder of the road to pass a snowplow. Some snowplows are equipped with wing plows that extend to the left or right of the vehicle. While these wings allow for more efficient removal of snow, they are nearly invisible to passing motorists because of blowing snow. De-icing materials spread from the rear of the truck may also be a distraction to motorists attempting to pass.