Editor’s note: For the latest snowstorm news, read the Tribune’s updated coverage.
Not since the Crosstown Classic of (much) warmer days has there been more at stake between the division of Chicago’s North and South sides. But it isn’t a Cubs-White Sox thing this time: Forecasters suggest as much as 10 inches more snow could fall in the southern half of Cook County than in the northern half.
A line will be drawn somewhere, according to meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Romeoville, and wherever it eventually falls during the first round of a winter storm beginning Tuesday evening, residents can expect a dramatic difference in snowfall from one side to the other.
“It’ll be an incredibly sharp cutoff. There could literally be a 10-inch difference from northern to southern Cook County, or more. There’s going to be a sharp line between the haves and have-nots, but it’s still tough to say exactly where the line will be,” said Gino Izzi, a meteorologist with the weather service. “Somewhere over a relatively short distance, we’re looking at an 8- to 10-inch difference in snowfall.”
The first round of what could be a two-round storm is expected to drop as much as a foot of snow in some areas, leading to dangerous road conditions, particularly during the Wednesday morning commute. Much of northern and central Illinois is under a winter storm warning as forecasters track a major system moving east across the country, Izzi said.
Chicago Public Schools tweeted at 5 a.m. Wednesday that all buildings are open for in-person classes, adding a decision about Thursday is pending.
Other Chicago-area schools and districts, particularly in the west and south suburbs, had already announced a weather-related switch to e-learning Wednesday. Those include Riverside District 96, Riverside Brookfield High School, Kirby District 140 based in Tinley Park, Orland District 135 in Orland Park and Alsip-Hazelgreen-Oak Lawn District 126.
The brunt of the storm is predicted to hit farther south. Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday issued a disaster proclamation ahead of the storm, activating 130 members of the National Guard to assist with emergency operations in central Illinois. It’s the first time since a blizzard 11 years ago that the National Guard was tasked with assisting during a winter storm.
On Jan. 31, 2011, Chicago saw a rare meteorological mix of constant snowfall, freezing high winds and highly charged lightning, bringing on “Snowmageddon,” a storm that turned parts of Lake Shore Drive into an arctic parking lot. The storm left about 84,000 city residents without power and led to a two-day closure of all Chicago Public Schools, both airports, and nearly all ground and rail traffic.
The Guard soldiers and airmen will be assigned to 18-member winter weather platoons and equipped with tactical vehicles to assist Illinois State Police in rescuing stranded drivers.
Maj. Gen. Richard Neely, commander of the Illinois National Guard, said since 2011 there’s been GPS technology that allows the Guard to keep better track of its units.
“We’ve learned some lessons back then about what type of equipment, what type of … Humvees that may not have done as well on the ice because of the weight, we’ve learned that,” Neely told the Tribune after a news conference.
The Illinois Department of Transportation also is deploying more than 1,800 trucks and snowplows to clear roads across the state.
By Tuesday afternoon, flight cancellations for the coming days were rolling in at O’Hare and Midway airports. As of 5 p.m., 247 flights had been canceled for Wednesday at O’Hare International Airport and 68 flights had been canceled at Midway, according to the tracking website FlightAware. Southwest Airlines, which made up the vast majority of the Midway cancellations, said they were due to the impending winter storm.
Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board, encouraged people to stay inside as much as possible and suggested those who are able to work remotely from home do so during the storm.
“Given the predicted severity of the storm that’s coming, we wanted to assure residents that we’ll do all we can to try to ensure your safety,” Preckwinkle said in a news conference Tuesday. “We also wanted to arm you with information that you’ll be able to keep yourselves and your family safe.”
Several cities across Cook County will be opening warming centers
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as temperatures are expected to drop to single digits in the coming days, she said.
Pritzker was set to deliver his budget address Wednesday to lawmakers at the state Capitol, but the House and Senate canceled scheduled session days due to the looming storm. Instead, Pritzker will give his noon speech in front of a smaller audience at the Old State Capitol.
The northern suburbs may not see a single snowflake during what initially had been expected to be a two-round storm. But as of Tuesday morning, the second portion of the storm was beginning to look more like a “no event” than a “snow event,” Izzi said — particularly for communities north of Chicago.
By snowfall rate — often a better indicator of a storm’s severity — the storm could drop as much as an inch of snow an hour in the area after some afternoon rainfall transitions to snow flurries Tuesday night, forecasters said.
Snowfall is expected to continue through most of Wednesday, according to meteorologists. As much as 8 inches to a foot of snow could fall in the Chicago area and points south.
“Widespread snow totals of 8 to 12? will make travel difficult, if not dangerous,” the weather service said in a social media post. “Prepare for a difficult Wednesday (morning) commute.”
“If you’re in the area that’s going to be harder hit, especially the southern suburbs, if you don’t have to travel late (Tuesday) and into (Wednesday) you’re better off staying off the roads and giving road crews time to plow and salt. You can also keep your fuel tank at least three-quarter filled or full and practice safe winter driving — no sudden lane changes or following too closely,” Izzi said, adding both the morning and possibly the evening commute Wednesday will be “heavily impacted by the snow, particularly the farther south you are.”
The storm is expected to begin to taper off by early Thursday, forecasters said. Izzi said areas such as Kankakee and Joliet could bear the brunt of the second round.
“The second round is kind of going to stay south and east of Chicago proper,” Izzi said.
Get all the latest weather news on the Tribune’s weather page and check back for updates.
How to stay safe
* Wear multiple layers including a hat and gloves or mittens.
* Know the signs of hypothermia. Seek emergency help if someone is experiencing intense shivering, slurred speech and drowsiness as well as loss of coordination. Hypothermia is when the body loses heat faster than it can be produced.
* Keep heat at adequate levels or leave faucets open with a slight drip to prevent pipes from freezing.
* If you have to drive, keep a first-aid kit in your car.
* Find a map and list of warming centers here. The list will be updated daily.
* Sign up for Alert Cook to receive text notifications and updates by texting “alertcook” to 888777.
baiduhai’s Stephanie Casanova contributed.