Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

13.7 Inches So Far, CTA Buses Rerouted Off Lake Shore Drive

By  Alex Parker  and Mauricio Peña | February 1, 2015 9:12am | Updated on February 1, 2015 5:36pm

 At least 6 inches of snow fell on Chicago overnight, with more expected.
February Blizzard
View Full Caption

CHICAGO — The snow started Saturday night, and it shows no signs of stopping.

About 6 inches fell Saturday night, and meteorologists expect at least a foot to accumulate — if not more.

By 4 p.m., 13.7 inches had accumulated at Midway Airport, the National Weather Service said. The CTA rerouted buses from Lake Shore Drive as a precaution, a spokeswoman said.

On Sunday morning, the National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning, ending at midnight. It warned of continuous snow and winds up to 40 mph.

"Since snow started falling last night, we have received reports of 5 to 6 inches of snow in the Chicago area," said Andrew Krein, National Weather Service meteorologist. "Continuous snow is expected to fall throughout the day, and when it is all said and done we are expecting 12 inches of snow."

The blizzard warning said up to 16 inches could accumulate in Chicago. Visibility could be reduced to zero.

Some parts of northern Illinois could see 18 inches, the National Weather Service said.

The National Weather Service aso issued a lakeshore flooding advisory for the city, in effect from 2 p.m. to 10 a.m. Monday.

"Large and battering waves of 12 to 16 feet" could result in flooding along the lakeshore, the weather service said.

On Sunday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and city department heads discussed their responses to the storm. The mayor promised to keep the streets clear and residents safe. Streets and Sanitation Department Commissioner Charles Williams said side streets would begin being plowed Sunday night after the snow stops.

The city deployed its full fleet of 270 snowplows, a Streets and Sanitation Department spokeswoman said. In addition, more than 30 "quick-hitch" plows were dispatched to main streets, bringing the total to more than 350 vehicles.

"The quick-hitch snowplows join snowplows and salt spreaders that have been clearing and salting arterial streets since Saturday evening. The quick-hitch plows work in tandem with snowplows to assist in snow-clearing efforts during heavy snowfall," said spokeswoman Molly Poppe.

The blizzard prompted canceled flights at O'Hare and Midway airports. More than 940 flights have been canceled at O'Hare, and more than 190 have been canceled at Midway.

The CTA reported normal service Sunday morning.

 

For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here: