Storm response in high gear as snow begins to pile up
SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE January 19, 2012 9:38AM
Traffic was heavy and slow before 2 p.m. Friday on Ogden Avenue, east of York Road, in Hinsdale. ~Bill Ruminski/Sun-Times Media
- IDOT road condition reports
- National Weather Regional Forecast
- Area schools closings
- Illinois radar
- Canceled high school games
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Updated: January 20, 2012 6:57PM
Snow has been falling throughout the Chicago area since late Friday morning, the start of a storm that could drop 5 to 8 inches of snow on the metropolitan area.
More than 700 flights at the city’s two airports were canceled and the CTA announced rerouted buses off Lake Shore Drive to nearby surface streets.
Airlines at O’Hare canceled more than 600 flights because of the storm, according to the city Department of Aviation. For flights not canceled, delays were averaging 45 minutes.
At Midway, Southwest Airlines canceled all flights between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Southwest expected to resume operations at 7 p.m. Flights originally scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. will be delayed until after 7 p.m. but not canceled, according to the Dept. of Aviation.
More than 30 schools and day care centers, mostly in the north, northwest and western suburbs closed early or canceled after-school activities, according to a web listing.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for Chicago, DuPage, Lake, Kane and McHenry counties starting at 9 a.m. and lasting through midnight.
Those areas could see between 5 and 8 inches of snow, slightly more than the 6 inches of snow forecasters predicted Wednesday, according to the weather service.
Kendall and Will counties to the south as well as Lake and Porter counties in Indiana won’t see as much snow — only 3 to 6 inches of accumulation, according to the weather service. Those counties are under a winter weather advisory from 9 a.m. until midnight.
Cold temperatures reaching only the teens will also make road salt less effective, and may make clearing snow and ice from roadways more difficult.
The Illinois Tollway says it has its full fleet of 183 plows on the roadways. The Tollway’s Snow Operations Center opened early Friday morning and the Tollway will have its full complement of more than 200 staff and supervisors per shift to ensure roadways are kept clear.
“Our full fleet will continue to work throughout the evening. ... We’re asking our customers to drive carefully and give our snowplows plenty of room to do their work,” tollway executive director Kristi Lafleur said.
Forecasters are warning motorists driving in areas likely to see higher snow accumulations to stay home if possible, and stock a flashlight, food and water in vehicles in case of an emergency.
“Snowfall may be intense at times and that can limit visibility, so motorists will need to drive with increased caution and patience,” Streets & Sanitation Commissioner Tom Byrne said. “Motorists should allow for longer travel times today, especially during the evening rush hour.”
Temperatures will remain steady in the teens to lower 20s overnight, but light snow showers after midnight could drop another 1 to 2 inches of snow before the storm tapers off early Saturday, according to the weather service.
Area residents do have warmer temperatures to look forward to next week, though, as highs were expected to climb into the mid-30s beginning Sunday.
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