Winter Weather Dangers of Deadly Chicago Semi-Truck Crashes

November 2025: Biggest Winter Storm in Seven Years Serves as Reminder of Truck Accident Risks

Winter really hit Chicagoland this year. Officially, our first day of winter is December 21st on what is called the “Winter Solstice,” the shortest day of the year. Read, “When is the Winter Solstice, and What is it All About?” written by Catherine Boeckmann and published by Almanac.Com on November 3, 2025.

Nevertheless, Chicago welcomed the change of seasons this week, over a month early, with the first Winter Weather Warning this area has had since 2018. Read, “Chicago Gets First November Winter Weather Warning in 7 Years,” written by Amanda Greenwood and published by Newsweek on November 9, 2025.

It is a pretty big snowstorm, impacting not only the Chicago metropolis but parts of Indiana, as well. On November 10, 2025, the National Weather Service warned Chicagoland that a “…frigid cold airmass will bring significantly colder weather across the eastern two thirds of the country early this week. Temperatures will tie or break many records across the Southeast through tonight. Moderate to heavy lake effect snow will continue downwind of the Great Lakes….”

Local newscasters covered the big snowstorm, where some areas got over a foot of snow from the “lake-effect system,” with reports of travel dangers and school closings. For details, read, “Chicago snow accumulation: Winter Storm Warning issued, dangerous driving conditions prompts some CPS school closings Monday,” written by Stephanie Wade, Greg Dutra, and the ABC Chicago Digital Team and published by ABC7Chicago on November 10, 2025.

For safety agencies, government authorities, and advocates for accident victims and their loved ones, the news of this big weather event brings with it worries about the huge danger that the snow, ice, sleet, and plunging temperatures bring to our roadways. Too many people die or suffer catastrophic injuries during winter weather conditions on our highways, streets, and interstates – especially when a large commercial truck is involved in the collision.

Big Dangers of Truck Accidents in Bad Winter Weather

Winter storms can come fast and bring big changes not only to roadway conditions and visibility, but to vehicles themselves as well as to those operating not only sedans, pickups, and SUVs but truckers responsible for meeting delivery deadlines in semis, 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, reefers, flatbeds, and more.

The dangers are many, and it is prudent for everyone in the Chicagoland area to be alert and aware of the following:

1. Weather Hazards

First things first: the weather itself brings risk. Black ice, for instance, can form within minutes on any stretch of roadway during storms like this one. Black ice cannot be seen by drivers. It cannot be detected by automation systems. Hitting black ice by a vehicle at almost any speed, and the driver can lose control, sliding off the road, rolling over, or slamming into other vehicles or things like bridges, barricades, trees, or lampposts. For more, read Ice on the Roads and Fatal Truck Accidents: The Dangers of Driving on Ice.

Snow and ice also lessen the ability of tires to gain traction on the road surface. Drivers cannot assume they will have the same ability to brake now as they might in other times of year. It can be terrifying to be driving any size of motor vehicle and feel in the steering wheel that the tires aren’t steady on the road as you’re driving.

Continuing heavy snow or sleet brings its own hazards. It is hard to see the road ahead, or those traveling behind you, when driving through the snowstorm. Visibility is critical for drivers, and their ability to see can be shockingly limited as snow or sleet is falling.

For more, read about Snow and Ice Conditions discussed by FHWA Road Weather Management, which warns us that thousands of people are killed each year in this country in accidents involving snowy, slushy, or icy pavement, or during active snowfall or sleet.

2. Truck Part Failures

Electrical components are impacted when temperatures drop. Diesel fuel thickens, and can clog fuel lines. Tires lose air in cold temperatures and without adequate pressure, a big rig can lose traction on the roadway.

Read, When Defective Products or Manufacturing Mistakes Cause Fatal Semi-Truck Crashes.

3. Motor Vehicle Driver Errors

Sadly, there are drivers that may be inexperienced and terrified in driving during winter storm conditions or those that are overly confident about their abilities to do so. Going too fast, or hitting the brakes too hard, can cause a horrific accident. Tires can lock. Braking can cause a skid. Failing to clean the windshield or mirrors before driving can block visibility as things get foggy. Not having the right preparations (think snow tires, not summer tires) or unduly relying on things like antilock braking may invite disaster.

Read: Winter Weather Accidents: Ice And Snow On Roads Of Indiana And Illinois.

4. Truck Driver Problems

Truckers are on the job behind the wheel of their semi-truck. Chicago is a national freight hub, and things do not stop just because snow is falling in Chicagoland. Trucks are going to be on our roadways, with professional drivers tasked with getting cargo to its destination as fast as possible despite the weather conditions.

The pressure placed on the truck drivers is understandably immense. There is the deadline to meet, and the stress coming from the shipper or the supervisor or the dispatcher. There are all the other vehicles on the roadway to monitor because all too often other drivers do not understand the greater dangers big rigs face in snow and sleet conditions. Then, there is the weather itself. Just driving these large and heavy rigs through bad winter weather is very difficult.

Every minute demands vigilance, understanding what the truck is telling the driver (is that tire slipping back there? Did the cargo shift?) as well as the roadway (is there a shady bridge up ahead where black ice might form?) and the traffic (is someone tailgating the rig? Are other drivers moving too fast? How much distance can the trucker keep in front of the semi to allow for braking?).

Driving a large truck during winter weather like Chicagoland is experiencing right now is very, very dangerous with the trucker being tested in ways never faced in other situations.

For more, read: Winter Weather Fatal Truck Crashes on Indiana and Illinois Roads; Shifting Loads and Unstable Cargo: Dangerous Causes for Semi-Truck Crashes; Chicago Semi-Truck Crash: Common Causes, Greater Danger of Truck Accidents in Chicagoland.

5. Premises or Property Risks

Landowners, tenants, lessors, and others with possession, custody, or control of properties on or near the roadway have duties of care during these winter storms. Bursting pipes may spew water that causes horrific risks on a roadway. Failure to trim tree branches or to keep landscaping back, allowing clear views of roadways for all drivers, can help cause a terrible truck crash on our roadways. Shade that is so pretty in summer is an invitation for black ice right now.

See: Fault for A Winter Traffic Accident: Government Liability for Winter Weather Car Crash.

Damages After Winter Weather Truck Crashes in Chicago

The City of Chicago and its surrounding metro area is experiencing a significant winter storm that serves to warn us all of how very hazardous these snowstorms are for semi-truck crashes here in Chicagoland. For everyone driving on our Windy City roadways in this serious winter weather, it is vital to understand all the risks that come with sharing the lanes with a big rig, 18-wheeler, semi, or tractor trailer moving at any speed.

While truckers have professional experience and education, as well as special legal duties of care when driving in bad winter weather, and all other drivers have similar duties to drive safely, these snow, sleet, and ice are formidable threats to everyone.

Just the disparity between size and weight in a semi-truck crash with another vehicle is enough to cause fatal injuries. Should a Chicago truck crash occur during a winter storm, all those harmed in the accident (truckers, rig occupants, other drivers, passengers, etc.) have an independent legal right to investigate all the reasons for what happened.

All too often, legal advocates and their accident reconstruction experts find that winter storm 18-wheeler truck accidents are not just the fault of bad weather but have causes where legal liability is placed, including claims against parties like:

Trucking company
Owner of the commercial truck
Owner of the trailer or tank, etc.
Owner of the cargo
Road work construction contractors
Drivers of other vehicles
Truck drivers
Manufacturers of products that fail (tires, brakes, etc.) on the truck
Manufacturers of products that fail on the other vehicle(s)
Companies responsible for repair or maintenance (trucks, cars, etc.)
Landowners or tenants responsible for premises care (dealing with accumulating snow; falling branches; bad lighting; etc.).

For more, read:

Winter weather like the November 2025 snowstorm here in Chicago is very dangerous, and creates a high risk for everyone of a serious or deadly semi-truck crash. Please be careful out there!