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Chicago Weather Alert: Annoyed Adults Dig Out Cars, Exuberant Kids Go Sledding On North Lakefront After Winter Storm

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Following the snowstorm that walloped the Chicago area Wednesday evening, some side streets in Lakeview and Uptown remained a mess – which was not a surprise.

A total of 9 inches fell in Lakeview. But as CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reported, sidewalks were cleared for students set to arrive Thursday morning at James G. Blaine Elementary School, 1420 W. Grace St.

Still, the only way out of just about any snow-covered side streets in those dense north lakefront neighborhoods was to dig. And with a break finally coming in the afternoon following what had seemed like a constant snowfall up to that point, neighbors took advantage of that window.

We met a winded Raul Gonzalez near Clark Street and Sunnyside Avenue in Uptown.

"It's tough," Gonzalez said as he dug. "I am clearing a spot for my car."

With the snow letting up in the afternoon, it gave Randy Price an opening to clear the sidewalk along Clark Street, but it was an all-day battle.

"You blow it out a little bit in the street, and the city comes and blows it right back on the sidewalk," he said.

For some, there was nothing endearing about this weather.

"I don't like it," said Odalys Gonzalez. "It's too cold. I'm not a big fan of the snow. So much traffic."

But in the park of Lincoln Park south of Diversey Parkway, the menu was just right for some kids who like snow a lot more than some of the grown-ups do. They built a snowman, did some sledding, and had a snow day – it really doesn't get much better.

A 3-year-old girl named Cameron rode her way through the snow as she was pulled on a sled. And the kids all agreed it was better than school.

And with the first round out of the way and more snow expected, reactions matched the wintry mix.

"I'm from Texas, so I'd rather have this than the Texas heat," said Raul Gonzalez.

"Yeah, I know that I'm not ready for it," said Oladys Gonzalez.

As to Texas, the Lone Star State is dealing with a whole separate problem involving ice and sleet. That, of course, comes almost a year after one of the nation's largest blackouts there.

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