Heavy snowfall, frigid temperatures and power outages struck the northwest suburbs of Arlington Heights, Barrington and Buffalo Grove over the weekend leaving many residents in the dark for a few hours. Northwest Community Hospital lost power but backup generators immediately kicked in, officials said. The inclement weather also closed school buildings, forcing some districts to opt for e-learning or cancel school days that will be made up at the end of the academic year.
Arlington Heights
Portions of Endeavor Health Northwest Community Hospital operations were on generator power from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 12, according to Keith Hartenberger, system director, media relations, Endeavor Health.
“Emergency services were placed on bypass during this time and patient safety was not impacted,” Hartenberger said.
The two-hour power outage necessitated a shift in the village’s EMS calls, Village Manager Randy Recklaus said, as the fire department received 17 calls for service and temporarily put an extra ambulance in service to maintain coverage despite road and hospital delays.
Recklaus reported at the peak of the outage, 800 households were without power, and by 5 p.m. Jan. 12, ComEd crews were still working to restore electrical power to 138 homes.
A ComEd spokesperson could not confirm the cause or details of the outage in Arlington Heights or surrounding communities.
The National Weather Service reported 6 inches of snow fell in Arlington Heights Jan. 12 to Jan. 13, closing area schools, as well as the Arlington Heights Memorial Library. Recklaus said the Senior Center also closed early but Village Hall remained open for service all day on Jan. 12.
“The Public Works Department has been fully deployed fighting the snow with two shifts working alternative periods to provide all-day coverage to the town for snow operations,” Recklaus said that Friday evening.
Arlington Heights police Chief Nicholas Pecora said between midnight and 3 p.m. overnight Friday, Arlington Heights police responded to 90 calls for service.
“The high number was due to activated burglar alarms as a result of several power outages or power spikes in the morning,” Pecora said.
More Top Picks Best Noise Cancelling Headphones
He explained the calls included three reports of accidents, one hit-and-run, four requests for well-being checks, three reports of traffic light malfunctions and three calls for motorist assists.
Pecora said by Sunday night, police responded to an additional 87 calls for service since 7 a.m. the day before, primarily for motorist assists during the sub-zero temperatures. Officers offered shelter to drivers and car occupants and helped arrange for tow trucks.
“Officers on patrol were mindful of the dangerous windchill and maintained a watchful eye for anyone in the community who may be exhibiting signs of distress,” Pecora said. “Thankfully, no such interaction was necessary.” He added that the roadways were less traveled during the snowstorm and deep freeze compared to an average weekend.
Classes were canceled for the thousands of school children across elementary and high school districts serving Arlington Heights. At Township High School District 214, officials moved the district’s nearly 12,000 students at six high schools to remote learning. After school, sports and extracurricular activities were canceled Jan. 12 and there was no school due to the MLK Holiday Monday. But while school buildings remained closed Tuesday due to the dangerously low air temperatures and windchill, a post that day on the district’s website indicated activities were permitted later.
“As of noon on Tuesday, January 16, the wind chill warning issued by the National Weather Service is no longer in effect. All District 214 after-school activities, athletic events, and programs will continue as scheduled” that day, the post read.
Schools were able to hold practice for all sports and levels.
“However, safety is the top priority, and all athletes must have rides to and from practice in a vehicle. Due to the extreme temperatures, no one is allowed to walk, ride a bike, etc.,” the post read.
Buffalo Grove
The village closed all non-emergency operations at 2 p.m. Jan. 12 while area schools, libraries and park districts were closed or programming canceled, according to village spokeswoman Molly Gillespie.
“The village experienced one live power line down on the roadway for 11 hours on northbound Route 83 just northwest of Arlington Heights Road which resulted in northbound traffic being shut down and a brief but widespread power outage on [Jan. 12] which has since been restored,” Gillespie said Sunday afternoon.
The National Weather Service reported 7.7 inches of snow fell in Buffalo Grove during the storm and Gillespie said the village’s response to the wintry weather began at 4 a.m. Jan. 12. The last village plow truck came off the street at noon Sunday.
She said the village used 437 tons of salt and 14,005 gallons of blending liquid to address the storm.
The Buffalo Grove Police Department received a total of 79 calls from 7 a.m. Jan. 11 through 2 p.m. Sunday, she said. A total of 17 were ambulance calls, 15 were alarm calls, 13 were for motorist assistance, two were neighbor complaints about snow removal and there was a report of a water main break, Gillespie said.
Officials said the police department expects to continue receiving weather-related calls due to the ongoing frigid and ice conditions.
Some students attend school at Arlington Heights-based SD214. The district closed school buildings Jan. 12 and again on Tuesday, a day after the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Additionally, some Buffalo Grove students attend Adlai Stevenson High School, in Lincolnshire. The school offered remote learning Jan. 12 for its more than 4,000 students, and again on Tuesday. However, Stevenson remained set to host an incoming freshman family orientation event Tuesday night, according to the school website.
Lake Zurich
In Lake Zurich, School District 95 officials announced that each of the district’s eight schools would be closed, with no e-learning planned, Jan. 12 and Tuesday. As a result of the cancellation, “the district will utilize an emergency day at the end of the school year,” SD95 Kelley Gallt wrote in a message to district families.
Barrington
Just like Waste Management in Buffalo Grove suspended service Jan. 12, so did Groot in Barrington, delaying refuse pick up to Jan. 13 due to the weather. However, no village buildings in Barrington were closed due to the winter weather, according to officials.
According to village spokeswoman Kate Himes, Barrington had snow plow crews working 12-hour shifts to provide 24-hour coverage on the village’s four residential snowplow routes.
She said the Public Works Department has a priority list of streets to plow starting with the high volume major roadways and emergency routes in the village, along with sidewalks and parking lots for open village facilities. The next priority for plowing, she said, are local streets and cul-de-sacs followed by alleys and parking lots of closed village facilities.
The village set up two warming centers, one at the Metra train stop in the village, at 201 S. Spring St., another at the Barrington public safety building, 400 N. Northwest Highway, for residents who lost power due to the storm. Although Himes didn’t disclose how many residents used the shelters over the weekend, they are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, she said.
“The police have responded to several vehicles that needed assistance getting back on the roadway,” Himes said.
Himes did not disclose the total number of calls received by police over the weekend.
School buildings in Barrington School District 220 were closed Jan. 12 and Tuesday. Students were moved to remote learning, and all sports and afterschool activities were canceled – both days.
More Top Picks What Learning Differences Run Together Comorbidities Explained
“We acknowledge the inconvenience closing school may cause and we appreciate your understanding of our need to put the safety of students and staff first,” Barrington School District 220 officials stated in the district’s notification to families.
Elizabeth Owens-Schiele is a freelancer.