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The area near the small, central Illinois village of Ohlman, Illinois was struck by a 3.8 magnitude earthquake early Tuesday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey, with shaking felt as far west as St. Louis and as far east as Champaign. According to the USGS community intensity map, some also reported feeling the quake in in Christian County near Taylorville. Ohlman, in Montgomery County, is directly south of Taylorville, and about 60 miles southwest of Decatur. Tuesday’s 3.8 magnitude quake, at four kilometers northwest of Ohlman, occurred in the Ozark Dome Region, the USGS said, which covers parts of Indiana; Kentucky; Illinois; Missouri; and Arkansas, and stretches from Indianapolis and St. Louis to Memphis. According to the USGS, the area borders a “much more seismically active New Madrid” seismic zone, which the Illinois Department of Emergency Management describes as one of two “major” seismic zones the state is at risk of earthquakes from, The other, the state says, is the Wabash Valley Zone, located between southeastern Illinois and southwest Indiana. In the New Madrid Seismic Zone, there is a 25% to 40% chance of a 6.0 magnitude earthquake or greater over a 50-year time span, the state said. “Since 1974, the year network monitoring of seismic activity began, more than 3000 earthquakes have been recorded in the NMSZ,” the state’s emergency management agency said. “Fortunately, none of these earthquakes exceeded a magnitude of 5.0, and most occurred without our noticing.” An earthquake with a 3.8 magnitude is often felt but may not cause damage. On a level of 8.0, an earthquake of 7.0 is described as a “major earthquake” with serious damage, according to Michigan Tech. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Drivers could encounter challenging conditions beginning late Tuesday night and lasting through the Wednesday morning commute as the first of two rounds of winter weather leads to slick, snow-covered roads. A clipper system will bring accumulating snow near and north of I-80 beginning in the late evening, the National Weather Service said in a social media post. Ahead of the winter system, more Chicago-area counties were added to a winter weather advisory due to the potential for several inches of snow. With several inches of accumulation expected, here’s what you should expect and when. Tuesday night As additional clouds move in this evening, dry conditions will persist before the latest taste of winter weather arrives. Snow will move in during the late evening and overnight hours, NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alicia Roman said. The heaviest snowfall is expected in Lake and McHenry counties, which are under a winter weather advisory beginning at 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. Wednesday. A separate advisory was issued for DeKalb, Kane, DuPage and northern and central Cook counties, beginning at 10 p.m. Tuesday and continuing through 8 a.m. Wednesday. Snow will continue for several hours across a wide swath of the region, leading to measurable totals in many communities. Wednesday morning Snow is expected to continue for several hours before letting up in the late morning. According to the NWS, an initial band of snow is expected between 8 p.m. and 1 a.m., and after that, more widespread snow will arrive through around 9 a.m. or so. Untreated roads will likely become snow-covered and slick into the early Wednesday morning commute, meteorologists said. With travel impacts expected across most of the area, you’ll certainly want to leave extra time for the morning drive. Snow accumulations of between 2 and 5 inches are possible in Lake and McHenry counties, with the highest totals expected near the Wisconsin-Illinois state line. For the remaining counties, anywhere from 2 to 4 inches of snow are possible, with the greatest snowfall amounts expected to occur “near and north of Interstate 88 and 290,” meteorologists said. Amounts could then taper down to two inches or less in the subsequent hours. Wednesday afternoon Partial sunshine and dry conditions are expected in the afternoon, but the break won’t be long. Another winter system will move in for the afternoon and evening commute, Roman said. Wednesday evening A cold front will push through in the evening, bringing snow showers and gusty winds of around 35 miles per hour, the NWS stated. As a result, blowing and drifting snow are possible, meteorologists said. This one is another “quick mover,” Roman said, noting the snow will be finished by around midnight to 1 a.m. Thursday and beyond Conditions are set to improve by Thursday morning into Thursday afternoon, when temperatures reach a high of 20 degrees. But don’t get used to it – another blast of arctic air will move in ahead of the weekend. Air temperatures will be as cold as negative six degrees, Roman said, but wind chill temperatures could be dangerously cold, dipping as low as negative 35 degrees.

More Chicago-area counties have been added to a winter weather advisory starting Tuesday evening as forecasters warn of the potential for several inches of snow. The alert was initially set to begin at 8 p.m. in Lake and McHenry counties in Illinois and remain in effect through 6 a.m. Wednesday. A second advisory was issued for Kenosha County beginning at 9 p.m. and continuing through 6 a.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. But just before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, a new advisory was issued for DeKalb, Kane, DuPage and northern and central Cook counties, beginning at 10 p.m. Tuesday and continuing through 8 a.m. Wednesday. “Be prepared for hazardous travel due to snow covered roads. The slippery conditions may also impact part of the Wednesday morning commute,” the alert states. Snow accumulations of between 2 and 5 inches are possible, with the highest totals expected near the Wisconsin-Illinois state line. For Lake and McHenry counties, “a heavier snow band is expected to develop.” “If a long enough period of heavier rates occurs, localized snowfall amounts may reach upwards of 5 inches,” the advisory warns. For the remaining counties, anywhere from 2 to 4 inches of snow is possible, with the highest snowfall amounts expected to occur “near and north of Interstate 88 and 290, with amounts tapering down to two inches or less with southward extent in the advisory area.” “There’s some potential for a heavier snow band to set up in northern portions of the counties, and if this occurs, localized snowfall amounts may reach upwards of 4 inches,” the advisory states. Snow is expected to come to an end Wednesday morning. According to the National Weather Service, the hazardous travel conditions will be possible from late evening Tuesday through early Wednesday before another front moves in, bringing more snow showers and gusty winds that could cause additional blowing and drifting snow through Wednesday evening. The second round is expected to begin around 5 p.m. Wednesday, starting in counties to the west. “Just in time for the afternoon and evening commutes,” Roman said. According to the National Weather Service, the snow could be paired with winds up to 35 mph. Dangerous cold then returns later in the week. Temperatures Friday morning will be below zero, Roman warned, with “feels-like” temperatures as low as -35 degrees. In counties to the north and west, wind chills between -35 and -40 were possible. Saturday, temperatures will remain in the single digits, Roman said, with highs moving into the teens by Sunday.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city is not, in fact, going to buy back the 36,000 parking meters it sold to a private company 18 years ago. However, a change in ownership could still be on its way after the meters were sold to a different bidder. “I want to put the rumors to bed: We are not pursuing the purchase of the city’s parking meters at this time,” Johnson told reporters Tuesday. At the height of the 2008 financial crisis, a group of investors paid nearly $1.2 billion dollars for Chicago’s parking meters for 75 years. The meters went up for a bid last summer, and multiple bidders, including the city, were interested. Johnson confirmed the city did look at a potential deal but decided against it. His team ran the numbers and decided it doesn’t make financial sense. “The final purchase price is far too high, much more than we initially received for the sale and higher than most reasonable assumptions would support,” the mayor said. Johnson confirmed the price was at least twice what the city originally sold the meters for. As for which private company is buying them, the city does not know yet. Any change of control requires Chicago City Council approval. The mayor’s office said council members could know as soon as next month what the terms of a potential sale are. The mayor said when deciding against buying back the meters, he listened to concerns from previous administrations and council members. “I’ve been looking at this deal for the last decade and a half. I know what the value is. I don’t think we have the money laying around for it,” said 32nd Ward Ald. Scott Waguespack. In addition to the financial risks, aldermen offered other considerations. “What if everybody’s using Ubers? What if everyone’s using the CTA, which would be a good thing? What if flying cars exist? What if there’s another global pandemic?” said 34th Ward Ald. Bill Conway. David Greising, president and CEO of the Better Government Association, also questioned whether a change in ownership would bring a rate increase. “We saw, when the meter deal first was let, that parking rates increased dramatically pretty much overnight, and a new owner presumably will have incentive to also try to squeeze the meters for new revenue,” Greising said. When NBC Chicago asked Johnson whether meter rates will increase under new ownership, he said: “There are some limits to what we’re able to do within the confines of this deal, but as far as parking rates being raised, I think it’s too early to make that projection.”