The snowstorm that socked the Chicago area Wednesday caused some crashes and spinouts on the roads — particularly in Chicago's north suburbs. On the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Wednesday afternoon, a number of cars were seen in ditches off the road near Touhy Avenue,

Dozens of schools announced closures for Wednesday, and a Winter Weather Advisory has been issued from Wednesday morning to Thursday.

A powerful and deadly winter storm that has been slamming the Plains and Midwest Wednesday morning moved into Chicago, Detroit and the Great Lakes during the afternoon.

Two major winter storms are expected to hit the Midwest this week, with moderate to heavy snowfall in the Chicago area. Between the two storms, residents could see a total of a foot of snow from

In Highland Park, the snow was ruthless at times — coming down at such a rapid pace that it also hindered cleanup efforts. As Andrew Ramos reports, the snow also put a dent in foot traffic at some of the small businesses in town.

The first bands of moderate to heavy snow moved across Chicagoland on Wednesday afternoon. Snow and slush will create hazardous travel for the Midwest as a snowstorm treks across the region. FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray reports from downtown Chicago where snow is covering the cityscape.