CHICAGO — It's no polar vortex, but Chicagoans are again dealing with the headaches from wintry weather.
A thin band of lake-effect snow moved out of the city early Tuesday, but commuters still were delayed as they headed to work.
And Chicagoans should prepare for more frigid weather the rest of the week, weather officials said.
"The snow is for the most part, for the Downtown area, done," National Weather Service meteorologist Amy Seeley said Tuesday morning.
The southeast edges of Cook County will continue to see snow Tuesday as the system moves toward Indiana, Seeley said.
More than 6 inches of snow fell in areas of the city last night, which caused problems for commuters Tuesday morning.
The city's fleet of 287 plows were deployed Monday night to try to keep the city's streets clear. By late Tuesday morning, crews already had begun plowing and salting side streets, said Molly Poppe, spokeswoman for the Department of Streets and Sanitation.
So far this winter, the city has spent $10.2 million on snow removal, about half the money budgeted for the year. Projections for how much Tuesday's storm would cost were not immediately available, but with less snow and higher temperatures than during the storm earlier this month, officials are predicting an easier time clearing streets, Poppe said.
More than 200 flights were canceled at O'Hare Airport Tuesday morning, and about 30 flights were canceled at Midway Airport, according to the city's Aviation Department. Some airlines reported delays averaging about 40 minutes at Midway, according to the Aviation Department.
Sunshine arrived during the day Tuesday but will not do much to warm up the city. Highs are expected to reach only into the single digits, with wind chills reaching 10 to 20 degrees below zero Tuesday.
Despite the snow, no major accidents or delays had been reported by early Tuesday morning. Metra issued a warning Monday night to riders the weather could cause problems, but as of 8:15 a.m., only two of its trains had been delayed by more than 15 minutes, said Metra spokesman Michael Gillis.
Chicagoans can expect single-digit temperatures for the rest of the week, with a chance of more snow Wednesday.
The next break from the cold is expected this weekend, when temperatures are forecast to reach into the 20s.
Contributing: Emily Morris
