Chicagoland is famous for its severe weather conditions, with nearby Lake Michigan, one of the five Great Lakes, contributing to unique roadway dangers here in the Windy City. One of the biggest risks here is “lake-effect snow,” which is different than the usual type of snowfall that drivers may deal with in other parts of the country.
Lake-effect snow is a serious local hazard and threatens all kinds of vehicles (from small sedans to the biggest tractor-trailers) with a sudden and catastrophic or deadly accident. For lake-effect snow accident victims, having the help of an experienced car accident lawyer may be advantageous in some situations.
See, “Chicago, Midwest Turn Treacherous in First Snow,” published by The Weather Channel on December 31, 2025, blaming “lake-effect snow, blustery winds, and frigid temperatures” for major traffic issues throughout Illinois and Indiana last week.
What is Lake-Effect Snow?
The meteorological explanation from the National Weather Service is detailed and precise: “lake-effect snow,” known as “LES,” is specific to the Great Lakes Region. Frigidly cold Canadian air flows over the lake waters, which are usually “relatively warm,” and the collision of hot and cold produces thick clouds and intense snowfall. There’s a lot of snow. And LES moves fast, too. Explains the NWS:
It is not uncommon for sunny skies at a particular location to be quickly replaced by blinding, wind-driven snowfall in a matter of minutes. Similarly, snowfall accumulations can vary from a trace to several inches over a short distance. The variability of LES is of particular danger to motorists.
For more, read: “Science – Lake Effect Snow,” written by Bruce B. Smith, Meteorologist and published by the National Weather Service.
Why Lake Effect Snow Is High Risk For Traffic Accidents
Anyone (driver or passenger) in a motor vehicle driving on Chicago roadways during the winter months is wise to understand the unique danger presented by LES and how this thick and fast-falling snow is particularly dangerous for serious accidents. Lake-effect snow in Chicago brings its own special risks, such as:
- Chicago Heavy Traffic Corridors. Drivers in Chicagoland are often moving along huge traffic corridors where those going to or from home, school, or work share lanes with commercial vehicles like tanker trucks carrying gasoline or diesel, or big rigs moving all sorts of cargo from Chicago to other parts of the country. Think Lake Shore Drive (US-41); I-94; I-90; or I-55. There are swift needs to change speed in heavy traffic; as well as things like elevated ramps; bridges; and overpasses that are huge dangers when drivers have to deal with lake-effect snow.
- Inconsistency in Winter Weather Road Conditions. LES is fickle, and drivers may be moving along a clear stretch of roadway only to hit a thick band of lake-effect snow within just a few miles. Drivers will lose visibility. Tires can lose traction. A relatively secure trip can become deadly dangerous within minutes.
- LES Means High Snowfall. One of the main characteristics of Chicago’s lake-effect snow is that so much snow drops from the skies in so little time. Multiple inches of snowfall can come down in lake-effect snow within an hour’s time. For those on our roads, not only does this impact their visibility and traction, but it makes for reduced distances for stopping (especially in emergencies) and it can mean that traffic lanes become covered or buried in snow.
- Lake-Effect Snow Can Cause Whiteouts. Given the high winds blowing around Chicagoland, especially in a winter storm, a sudden lake-effect snowfall can combine with these winds to create “whiteouts,” which by definition reduce visibility to “near zero” for motorists. Whiteouts mean Chicago drivers may not be able to see where the lanes are on the roadway. Drivers may not be able to see other motor vehicles moving on the road around them, or those stopped or stalled along the shoulder.
- LES Scoffs at Road Surface Safety Precautions. Chicagoland powers-that-be have all sorts of safety measures to keep roads safe during the winter, including treated pavements and snow plows on the job. However, because lake-effect snow is so fast and so heavy, drivers cannot rely on these safety steps. Plowed routes can be slick again within minutes. Treated lanes may not be able to protect against LES.
For more on crash risks facing Chicago drivers, read: Winter Weather Dangers of Deadly Chicago Semi-Truck Crashes; Why Chicago Bus Accidents Happen: When Bus Crash Is Not the Fault of the Bus Driver or Bus Company; and Traffic Fatalities in Chicagoland: High Risk of Deadly Chicago Car Crash.
Chicago Car Accident Lawyer and Lake-Effect Snow Accidents
The decision to seek out legal representation after a Chicago traffic accident may be one of the most important decisions that the accident victim and their loved ones may ever have to make. This is particularly true after a serious or deadly winter weather crash.
The stress of dealing with the accident itself and its aftermath, from the medical care considerations; to the emotional hurdles; to the unexpected financial stressors can be immense. Finding a lawyer may be understandably overwhelming.
And, of course, there are times when the accident victim can negotiate a resolution without the help of legal counsel. There is no law that demands you have an advocate, of course. However, for those dealing with a lake-effect snow accident and the injuries and harm suffered not just by the victims in the vehicle but loved ones and family members, there may be instances where an experienced car accident lawyer may be helpful not only in dealing with the claim or case itself, but with intangibles – like taking over the stress of communications about the crash, or assisting with filing for workers’ compensation benefits.
A Chicago car accident lawyer may be particularly helpful with the lake-effect snow accident involves one or more of the following:
- Significant bodily harm to one or more victims (traumatic brain injury; internal organ damage; spinal cord injury; fractures; burns; etc.), where long-term care needs exist;
- Fault may involve more than one individual or company or driver (a faulty tire may mean liability for a tire manufacturer, for instance, as well as causation for one or more drivers in the pile-up);
- Complex liability where one or more parties may deny responsibility or claim that others bear a greater share of causation than they do;
- Insurance coverage issues (underinsured drivers; uninsured drivers; etc.); and
- Employer liability for commercial vehicles involved in the lake-effect snow crash (negligent hiring, negligent supervision, failure to properly maintain fleet vehicles, etc.).
With the help of an accident reconstruction expert with particular expertise in LES collisions, a Chicago car accident lawyer may find legal recompense lies with one or more parties that may not have been obviously liable at the time of the crash. In these types of complicated motor vehicle accidents, there is no way for anyone to pinpoint all the reasons for what happened until an investigation has been completed, even if lake-effect snow seems the obvious cause.
For more, read:
- Accident Reconstruction Experts and Injury Claims
- EDRs and Black Box Recordings in Car Crashes: Technological Data as Evidence of Fault in Personal Injury Claims
- Evidence in Serious or Fatal Semi-Truck Crashes or Car Accidents: What is Crush Analysis?
- Questions To Ask When Choosing A Personal Injury Lawyer In Illinois Or Indiana
- How To Choose the Right Personal Injury Lawyer for You and Your Family.
Chicago winters are unique in the risk they bring to drivers on our local roadways. Lake-effect snow is especially dangerous. Please be careful out there!
