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Illinois Dept. of Transportation
Winter Weather – Get it Together: Make a plan for snow and ice
season
[November 19, 2025]
SPRINGFIELD – With temperatures
falling, frosty mornings becoming common and snow starting to creep
into the forecast, the public is reminded that it’s time for “Winter
Weather – Get it Together.” The Illinois Department of
Transportation, Illinois State Police and Illinois Tollway spend the
entire year preparing for snow and ice season but are asking you to
get ready for winter travel over the coming months.
“At IDOT, we have been busy bringing in extra help, topping off
materials and getting equipment ready to go,” said Illinois
Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi. “We need your help as well.
Taking some basic, preventive steps before venturing out and during
your travels will ensure you protect yourself and stay prepared for
whatever winter has in store.”
It's never too early to begin transitioning to basic winter driving
skills and anticipating for even routine trips to take longer,
though temperatures are above freezing during the day and roads
appear clear. As part of the “Winter Weather – Get it Together”
campaign, travelers are encouraged to follow these guidelines:
Bookmark IDOT’s
GettingAroundIllinois.com to check
winter road conditions 24/7 before heading out. Get in the habit
of monitoring weather forecasts.
Give yourself plenty of extra time for trips. Slow down and increase
the distance between other vehicles.
Prepare an emergency kit with
jumper cables, flares or reflectors, windshield washer fluid, an ice
scraper, traction material, blankets, non-perishable food and a
first-aid kit. Have a cellphone charger in your vehicle at all
times.
Check your battery, charging system and belts for repairs or
replacements. Inspect your tires for wear and pressure. Make sure
all the lights on your vehicle are in working order.
Watch out for black ice and slippery conditions, even if there is no
snow on the ground. A road may appear clear but can be treacherous
with minimal amounts of moisture.
Be especially careful when approaching intersections, ramps, bridges
and shaded areas, which are prone to icing and can become extremely
slick.
Do not travel during bad weather unless absolutely necessary. If you
do have to drive, check the forecast and make sure someone is aware
of your route. Familiarize yourself with public transportation
options in your community.
Don’t crowd the plows and other equipment treating roads during
winter. You might see the plow drivers, but they might not see you.
Also, road conditions are much better behind than in front of the
plow. Any plow that’s hit is one less resource available to clear
the roads.
Always wear a seat belt. It’s the law in Illinois. And it’s your
best defense in a crash.
Drop it and drive. Put down the mobile devices. This, too, is the
law.
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Give them
distance. Obey the Move Over law by slowing down and changing
lanes when approaching ANY stopped vehicle.
Follow IDOT on
Facebook and
X to see how the agency is responding to winter weather
throughout the state.
For more winter driving tips, check out this short
IDOT video.
“Every year, ISP troopers handle hundreds of crashes due to snow
and ice,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “The most
important thing to do is to slow down and give yourself extra
time to get where you're going. Driving fast in winter
conditions only puts you and the lives of the people around you
at risk.”
For the upcoming winter, IDOT will have nearly 1,900 trucks
available for deployment to plow more than 45,000 lane miles of
roads statewide, the equivalent of driving back and forth
between New York City and Los Angeles eight times. Last winter,
IDOT crews spread more than 312,000 tons of salt statewide. This
winter, salt domes are at capacity, with more than 542,000 tons
on hand, almost twice the weight of Willis Tower.
To increase staffing for winter operations, hiring at IDOT
continues for both temporary and permanent positions. For
information on job postings throughout the state, visit
illinois.jobs2web.com
or IDOT’s
Employment page.
“When winter storms strike, we protect our customers by rapidly
deploying our road crews and snowplows to keep our roads clear
and safe even during severe weather,” said Illinois Tollway
Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse. “Safety is always our top
priority and even during storms drivers who become stranded on
our roads can dial *999 and know that help is on the way.
Customers need to help us protect them by slowing down during
storms and increasing their distance from plows and other
vehicles.”
The Illinois Tollway mobilizes a fleet of 196 snowplows and taps
its stockpile of 105,000 tons of salt to clear its roads during
winter storms so the 1.6 million daily drivers who rely on the
tollway can safely reach their destinations.
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