The snow blanketed the Chicago area on Friday morning, in large areas north of Illinois continuing to be under winter storm watch until noon on Saturday.
The snow accumulations that were reported Friday morning typically ranged from two to six inches with the southwest suburban Lockport scoring 7.5 inches. While Chicago was spared the effects of the winter storm earlier during the week, Friday’s weather pattern also struck the city. At 12 noon, 3.4 inches of snow had been measured on the runway at O’Hare in Chicago, and 3.8 inches were recorded in Midway Airport.
While temperatures remain above freezing most precipitation was a rainstorm during the late afternoon hours.
The meteorologist Brett Borchardt provided an updated forecast for Friday afternoon at his Chicago Office at the National Weather Service. The majority of the region will be dry for a short time into the early evening before the next major swath of snow that is accumulating will arrive over the course of the night, he added.
For Chicago the primary time frame for snowfall is between midnight and 4am Then, there is the possibility of an additional accumulation of between 1 and 2 inches, Borchardt said.
The high winds can create isolated blizzards in open and rural regions, he noted.
The winds could impact the power lines in the same way they did on Friday morning when Comedy reported several outages. Winds that exceed 50 mph were recorded on the Chicago Lake Michigan station.
In the city of Chicago briefing for the media in the early afternoon of Friday, Comedy CEO Gil Quinines estimated that around 220,000 Chicago users were out of power on Friday morning, as well as 76,000 customers across northern Illinois. Crews were attempting to restore service. those experiencing outages can complain by sending a text message with the word “out” to 26633, Quinines said.
It is important to note that the Illinois Department of Transportation maintains an updated map of road conditions for people who need to travel on the highways. It also provides information on the Illinois Tollway and also provides real-time information on the internet as well as via Facebook and Twitter..
The Department of Streets and Sanitation has over 300 salt spreaders across Chicago streets according to the Commissioner Cole Stallard. While streets and San crews are working to clear roads, Stallard requested residents assist in shoveling by throwing snow onto parks, and not into streets.
Annette Nance-Holt is the chief for the Chicago Fire Department, likewise demanded that the city’s hydrants be free of obstructions when they shovel.
Service on the CTA’s newly restored Yellow Line was halted Friday morning because of the debris that was accumulating on tracks. Shuttle buses were operating to provide connection service between the Howard and Skokie/Dempster stations.
The transit agency reported some early morning delays for buses as certain buses were diverted to Disabled Lake Shore Drive due to icy conditions according to alerts from the service.
At 1 p.m. at 1 p.m., there were 824 flights that had been canceled from O’Hare International Airport and another 276 flights canceled at Midway Airport, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation. More delays were confirmed.
Chicago Public Schools are in session on Friday for classes but the district has decided to cancel programs run by CPS for after-school and outside-of-school on the weekend of Friday and Saturday. Numerous suburban districts either canceled classes on Friday or switched towards remote-learning. The status of the district is accessible on the internet.
Institutions, such as Brookfield Zoo, announced closures on Friday. Visitors are advised to contact venues in advance to verify if they’re open prior to leaving the venue.
The snow will recede on Saturday, and then be followed by an arctic storm which will cause temperatures to plummet to lows overnight that are just below zero on Sunday.
While snowfalls have been uncertain during the week of this, experts are confident. confidence in the deep freeze in the words of Borchardt.
“The cold is on the way,” he said.
Matt Beaudet, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Buildings, informed residents about the city’s heat ordinance that requires landlords to ensure temperatures between 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. and 66 degrees during the night. Call 311 if you’re experiencing an absence of heating in your home, Beaudet said, adding that the inspectors are on duty during the weekend and on Tuesday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.
“Do not make use of ovens or stoves for heating devices,” Beaudet said, a warning reiterated by Fire Commissioner Nance-Holt.
Chicago Public Schools said it will make a decision in the coming days about planned activities for Monday, and if classes will be held on Tuesday.
