Winter Storm Warning in effect for parts of area as snow clobbers Chicago
A Winter Storm Warning was in effect for Cook County on Sunday, as snow clobbered the area and kept going longer than initially expected.
For all of Cook County, the Winter Weather Advisory has been upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning, which remains in effect until 4 p.m.
Originally, snow was expected to taper off in the afternoon. But snow was still falling aggressively at 12:30 p.m., and this was not expected to change anytime soon with lake-effect snow entering the equation.
In total, additional snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches for northwestern Cook County on Sunday, but totals may amount to 6 inches to a foot near Lake Michigan.
A Winter Storm Warning was also issued until midnight Sunday night for Porter County, Indiana. Additional snowfall of 1 to 3 inches near the Kankakee River and 4 to 8 inches near the lake is expected in Porter County.
A Winter Storm Warning is also now in effect for LaPorte County, Indiana, until 9 a.m. Monday.
A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect for Lake, DuPage, Will, Kendall, Grundy, and Kankakee counties until 6 p.m., for Jasper and Newton counties in Indiana until 9 p.m., and for Lake and Porter counties in Indiana until midnight.
As of Sunday morning, the winter storm had already dumped 6.3 inches of snow in Bridgeport, 5.6 inches in Lincoln Park, 4.8 inches in north suburban Highwood, 4.7 inches in Hyde Park, 3.7 inches in West Ridge, and 2.7 inches in Ogden Dunes, Indiana. The forecast snow that could top out at 12 inches along the lake is on top of these totals.
In the city of Chicago, the snow was expected to relax after 3 p.m. But lake-enhanced snowfall may continue into the afternoon and evening.
Snow plows and salt spreaders were out throughout the Chicago area early Sunday morning with the snow falling, working on all corners of the city to keep the streets safe.
The salt spreaders always start with major streets, DuSable Lake Shore Drive, bridges, and overpasses first, and then they get to side streets.
Drivers were advised to be careful in the snow, as there were problems on area roadways. On the Dan Ryan Expressway, a semi-trailer truck jackknifed near 31st Street.
Illinois State Police said the jackknifed semi-trailer truck blocked three lanes of traffic after the crash at 2:30 a.m. Lanes were closed while the truck was righted, but reopened at 3:30 a.m.
No one was injured.
O'Hare International Airport was also among the airports across the country impacted by the winter storms this weekend.
Flight Aware reported 4,600 flights canceled nationwide on Saturday, and the number of cancellations was already climbing early Sunday morning.
So far in Chicago, a total of 614 flights had been canceled at O'Hare as of just before 1 p.m., and 111 had been canceled at Midway International Airport.
Cold temperatures, wind chills also a concern in Chicago
Meanwhile, in addition to the snow, cold weather remains a concern in the Chicago area. A Cold Weather Advisory is in effect for the Chicago area from midnight Sunday night to noon Monday, with the overnight low falling to -2 and wind chills as low as -20 to -25 expected.
Such conditions could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.
If your heat just isn't cutting it, there are dozens of warming centers open in Chicago. The Garfield Community Center at 10 S. Kedzie Ave. on Chicago's West Side is open from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. Sunday.
Chicago public libraries and park district field houses are open during normal hours, and Chicago police district stations are open around the clock as warming centers.
In southwest suburban Romeoville, some residents may be experiencing low water pressure. The village sent out an alert saying it received reports from several areas around the suburb.
The village said crews were working to find out what was causing the low water pressure, and updates will be posted on the village website.
