Monday, April 27, 2015

Chicago: The Snowy City?

The 19.3 inches of snow recorded at O'Hare ranks the storm as the fifth largest snowfall Chicago has seen, beating a March 1930 storm by one-tenth of an inch.
The city's biggest blizzard happened in 1967 when 23 inches of snow fell on Jan. 26 to 27. The second-biggest blizzard happened in 1999 when 21.6 inches fell. The third-largest storm was in February 2011, when the weather service recorded 21.2 inches of snow and the fourth-biggest storm was in January 1979 when there was 20.3 inches of snow.
The storm, with its steady snowfall and gusty winds, dropped visibility to less than one-quarter of a mile. It caused a myriad of problems for those trying to get around, prompted some businesses and city attractions to close early on a Super Bowl Sunday, and forced Chicago Public Schools officials to cancel Monday classes.
"This level of snowfall will present many challenges for our children," CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett said a Sunday evening statement. "The safety and well-being of our students always comes first."
The Chicago Transit Authority on Sunday evening rerouted buses that use Lake Shore Drive to nearby neighborhood streets. The main artery along Lake Michigan remained opened to all other drivers, however.
"The only issue we may or may not have with Lake Shore Drive today that we're watching is the wind," Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Charles Williams said during a midday Sunday press conference. "You have a strong wind coming off the lake. That could hit Lake Shore Drive with some flooding but we're watching it. Up to this point, it has not been a problem."
Williams said more than 350 pieces of snow-fighting equipment were out trying to maintain clearance on the city's main thoroughfares, including Lake Shore Drive.
Attention would turn to the city's side streets on Monday once the snow stopped falling, he said.
Aside from the roadways, Williams stressed the need for business and property owners to ensure walkways and sidewalks are cleared of snow as often and as quickly as possible. Volunteer shovelers may be available for those who can't do the work. The elderly and disabled residents can call 311 to see if a volunteer shoveler is available.
Dogs in the Snow Dogs in the Snow

No comments:

Post a Comment