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2/10/2010, 03:54 PM
Tuesday Snowstorm Shatters Local Records
Daily Record For February Broken When 12.6 Inches Fall At O'Hare/CHICAGO
The seemingly endless snowstorm is finally moving out of the area Wednesday morning, after leaving more than a foot of snow on the ground in many parts of the area and shattering a record for the date.
The official snowfall for Tuesday was 12.6 inches, measured at O'Hare International Airport, which set a new daily record snowfall for the month of February. The last record for daily snowfall for February in Chicago was 11.5 inches, set on Feb. 18, 1908.
The National Weather Service says the snowfall also shattered a record for total snowfall on Feb. 9. The last record was set in 1885, when 8.5 inches of snow fell in Chicago.
Tuesday was also the seventh greatest calendar day snowfall ever in Chicago, the National Weather Service reported. The list of the greatest daily snowfalls is topped with snowstorms of legend – Jan. 2, 1999; Jan. 13, 1979; and Jan. 26, 1967. The other daily snow totals greater than Tuesday were in 1939, 1918 and 1930.
CBS 2's Mary Kay Kleist says more light snow was reported at O'Hare early on Wednesday morning, and blowing and drifting is expected. The system is moving out of the area, except in Northwest Indiana, where a couple additional inches of accumulation are expected.
The winter storm warning in effect for most of the day Tuesday and early Wednesday has been canceled, although a winter weather advisory remains in effect until 2 p.m. for Lake, Porter, Jasper, Newton and Benton counties in Indiana, and a winter storm warning is in effect until 6 p.m. farther east in Indiana.
The snow caused problems all across the area. Several schools were closed. Night classes were called off at Northeastern Illinois University.
CBS 2 Meterologist Steve Baskerville says that several schools have also canceled class Wednesday due to the weather.
The County Building and court system in Lake County, Ind., were also closed due to the snow, prompting frustration from many who came to the buildings for scheduled appointments or court dates. Signs were posted in orange highlighter announcing the courts were shut down.
That didn't sit well with those headed to their court dates, many of whom took the day off work to find a handwritten sign in orange highlighter telling them the courts were closed.
"I'm using days I could have used for something else," said Indiana resident Nicole Simpson, who took a picture of the sign to show her boss she wasn't lying.
Leaving the area might have been tempting, but that was no easy feat either. More than 600 flights were canceled at O'Hare on Tuesday. As of 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, there were no delays reported, but 300 flights were preemptively canceled at O'Hare, mostly because of trouble with the snowstorm now on the East Coast, the Chicago Department of Aviation reported.
At Midway, Southwest Airlines canceled all flights on Tuesday and early Wednesday. By 10:45 a.m., Southwest had resumed its flight schedule, but more than 150 flights were canceled at Midway, mostly to the East Coast.
The snow also came in the midst of delays on commuter trains Tuesday morning.
The morning commute on Tuesday was tough for people in Northwest Indiana. CBS 2 Executive Producer of Digital Media John Dodge reported the South Shore line from Northwest Indiana was brought to its knees when a train broke down Tuesday morning, resulting in delays of 90 minutes on the line. Mechanical problems also caused delays on the Metra Milwaukee Northwest and SouthWest Service lines.
The snow was particularly frustrating for people trying to drive in it.
"We haven't made it to work yet. We were supposed to be there at 7," said John Evan, who was two and half hours late for work Tuesday morning.
City crews and the Illinois Department of Transportation had their full fleet of salt trucks and snow plows out all day, and for some, the drive in wasn't that awful.
"Actually it was better," said Greg Bauer. "Not as many people were out and the road crews did a great job."
And if you're a CTA commuter, service cuts that have extended your wait time became that much harder to swallow.
"It's been a challenge these last few days of having the buses not come as often," said Katie Cerney. "This is the worst day that you could have the buses not coming as often."
By mid-afternoon, the snowfall gained in intensity downtown, and officials are warning that the commute home, either by bus train or car, could be longer than normal.
In near north suburban Evanston, a Snow Emergency is in effect, and residents will have to move their cars to the odd-numbered sides of the streets Wednesday, then to the even-numbered sides of the streets on Thursday.
Evanston's emergency sirens will sound at 7:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. on Snow Emergency days to remind residents of the parking restrictions. Parking is also banned on Evanston's main thoroughfares between 11 p.m. Tuesday and 6 a.m. on Wednesday, to allow the city to effectively clear the snow.
Daily Record For February Broken When 12.6 Inches Fall At O'Hare/CHICAGO
The seemingly endless snowstorm is finally moving out of the area Wednesday morning, after leaving more than a foot of snow on the ground in many parts of the area and shattering a record for the date.
The official snowfall for Tuesday was 12.6 inches, measured at O'Hare International Airport, which set a new daily record snowfall for the month of February. The last record for daily snowfall for February in Chicago was 11.5 inches, set on Feb. 18, 1908.
The National Weather Service says the snowfall also shattered a record for total snowfall on Feb. 9. The last record was set in 1885, when 8.5 inches of snow fell in Chicago.
Tuesday was also the seventh greatest calendar day snowfall ever in Chicago, the National Weather Service reported. The list of the greatest daily snowfalls is topped with snowstorms of legend – Jan. 2, 1999; Jan. 13, 1979; and Jan. 26, 1967. The other daily snow totals greater than Tuesday were in 1939, 1918 and 1930.
CBS 2's Mary Kay Kleist says more light snow was reported at O'Hare early on Wednesday morning, and blowing and drifting is expected. The system is moving out of the area, except in Northwest Indiana, where a couple additional inches of accumulation are expected.
The winter storm warning in effect for most of the day Tuesday and early Wednesday has been canceled, although a winter weather advisory remains in effect until 2 p.m. for Lake, Porter, Jasper, Newton and Benton counties in Indiana, and a winter storm warning is in effect until 6 p.m. farther east in Indiana.
The snow caused problems all across the area. Several schools were closed. Night classes were called off at Northeastern Illinois University.
CBS 2 Meterologist Steve Baskerville says that several schools have also canceled class Wednesday due to the weather.
The County Building and court system in Lake County, Ind., were also closed due to the snow, prompting frustration from many who came to the buildings for scheduled appointments or court dates. Signs were posted in orange highlighter announcing the courts were shut down.
That didn't sit well with those headed to their court dates, many of whom took the day off work to find a handwritten sign in orange highlighter telling them the courts were closed.
"I'm using days I could have used for something else," said Indiana resident Nicole Simpson, who took a picture of the sign to show her boss she wasn't lying.
Leaving the area might have been tempting, but that was no easy feat either. More than 600 flights were canceled at O'Hare on Tuesday. As of 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, there were no delays reported, but 300 flights were preemptively canceled at O'Hare, mostly because of trouble with the snowstorm now on the East Coast, the Chicago Department of Aviation reported.
At Midway, Southwest Airlines canceled all flights on Tuesday and early Wednesday. By 10:45 a.m., Southwest had resumed its flight schedule, but more than 150 flights were canceled at Midway, mostly to the East Coast.
The snow also came in the midst of delays on commuter trains Tuesday morning.
The morning commute on Tuesday was tough for people in Northwest Indiana. CBS 2 Executive Producer of Digital Media John Dodge reported the South Shore line from Northwest Indiana was brought to its knees when a train broke down Tuesday morning, resulting in delays of 90 minutes on the line. Mechanical problems also caused delays on the Metra Milwaukee Northwest and SouthWest Service lines.
The snow was particularly frustrating for people trying to drive in it.
"We haven't made it to work yet. We were supposed to be there at 7," said John Evan, who was two and half hours late for work Tuesday morning.
City crews and the Illinois Department of Transportation had their full fleet of salt trucks and snow plows out all day, and for some, the drive in wasn't that awful.
"Actually it was better," said Greg Bauer. "Not as many people were out and the road crews did a great job."
And if you're a CTA commuter, service cuts that have extended your wait time became that much harder to swallow.
"It's been a challenge these last few days of having the buses not come as often," said Katie Cerney. "This is the worst day that you could have the buses not coming as often."
By mid-afternoon, the snowfall gained in intensity downtown, and officials are warning that the commute home, either by bus train or car, could be longer than normal.
In near north suburban Evanston, a Snow Emergency is in effect, and residents will have to move their cars to the odd-numbered sides of the streets Wednesday, then to the even-numbered sides of the streets on Thursday.
Evanston's emergency sirens will sound at 7:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. on Snow Emergency days to remind residents of the parking restrictions. Parking is also banned on Evanston's main thoroughfares between 11 p.m. Tuesday and 6 a.m. on Wednesday, to allow the city to effectively clear the snow.