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.
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