Chicago weather: Strong winds, reduced visibility and ‘brutal’ cold will affect travel ahead of Christmas. ‘If you don’t have to travel during this storm, please don’t.’
City and county officials warned residents about the snowstorm and blizzard-like conditions that will hit the area late Thursday through Saturday morning and likely affect travel, as airlines and rail services made adjustments to their schedules leading up to Christmas. The city will experience below-freezing temperatures, low visibility and extreme wind chills ahead of the holidays.
At a news conference Wednesday morning, Rich Guidice, executive director of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, called on Chicagoans to take care of themselves and each other as the harsh weather rolls into the city.
“We encourage you to check on your neighbors, family members, pets and friends, particularly those who are elderly or have disabilities,” he said. “Staying connected is key to being safe.”
At a separate news conference held by county officials Wednesday morning, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle also cautioned against unnecessary travel.
“First and foremost, if you don’t have to travel during this storm, please don’t. I recognize that many people have last-minute shopping to do in advance of the holiday weekend, but the easiest way to avoid the dangers of a storm is to stay home if you possibly can,” she said. Preckwinkle urged people to work from home in the coming days, if possible.
“We’re very concerned about travel outside of the city with near-blizzard conditions expected, especially as folks travel regionally for the holiday,” said Mike Bardou, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service of Chicago, at the city news conference.
Andrew Velasquez, first deputy aviation commissioner at the Chicago Department of Aviation, added that O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport expect to see almost 3 million travelers in the next 12 days.
“Chicago’s airports are prepared to do our part to reduce delays in spite of the storm. That said, travelers must stay alert to changing conditions,” Velasquez said. “We encourage travelers to check flight status with their airline before leaving for the airport.”
As of 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, 214 flights scheduled for Thursday at O’Hare International Airport had been canceled, according to the website FlightAware. Southwest Airlines had canceled 150 Thursday flights at Midway Airport.
Southwest said it had reduced operations at some airports as the winter storm approached, primarily Midway and Denver. Across the airline’s entire network, it had canceled about 500 of nearly 4,000 flights scheduled for both Thursday and Friday.
“The safety of employees and customers is Southwest’s top priority and proactive schedule adjustments aim to ensure safe operations, protect the integrity of the entire Southwest network, and limit subjecting our people to dangerous working conditions,” Southwest executives said a statement posted to the carrier’s website.
Flight cancellations, Velasquez said, are decisions made by airlines in consultation with the Federal Aviation Administration. He added that airlines are also responsible for taking care of passengers that are stranded in an airport as a result of the severe weather.
Metra said it would reduce service on most lines Friday in anticipation of the potential blizzard, and because fewer commuters were expected to head into offices as Christmas approached.
Most lines will operate on a modified Saturday schedule on Dec. 23. The SouthWest Service and Heritage Corridor don’t normally operate on weekends, and they will run weekday schedules. The North Central Service will operate a modified weekday schedule. Detailed schedules for each line are available at metra.com.
The commuter rail service was planning to run typical service Thursday.
Metra urged riders and drivers to allow extra travel time, and to use extra caution near rail tracks because of expected low visibility and slippery conditions.
Some Amtrak trains in and out of Chicago will operate through Sunday with modified schedules, whereas some services will be suspended. “These actions are taken with abundant caution and in consultation with state transportation departments, host railroads, emergency managers, and weather forecasters,” according to a service alert posted to the Amtrak website at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Hiawatha trains 329, 332, 333, 336, 337, 340 and 343 between Chicago and Milwaukee have been canceled Thursday through Sunday. Wolverine trains 352 and 353 to Detroit and Pontiac, Michigan, will also be canceled between Thursday and Sunday. But other round-trips on the routes will continue to operate.
No substitute transportation will be available on certain routes of the Amtrak National Network Services. For instance, Empire Builder trains 7/27 and 8/28 originating in Chicago, Seattle and Portland are canceled Wednesday through Friday.
“All of these are precautionary, all of these are because of the forecast of severe weather,” Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari told the Tribune.
National Weather Service of Chicago meteorologist Kevin Doom told the Tribune that, while Chicago-area residents can expect less snow than previously warned, officials’ worries surrounding cold winds, low visibility and icy roads remain the same.
Wind chills will reach temperatures around 25 to 30 degrees below zero across the entire Chicagoland by late Thursday night into Friday morning. Winds of up to 45 and 50 mph will blow the fine, fluffy snow, thus reducing visibility considerably, creating near-whiteout conditions at times.
“So that’s our biggest concern, especially with it being Thursday and Friday before Christmas on Sunday — it’s going to be the busiest travel days of the year,” Doom said. “So it’s going to be very hazardous for travel. And we really just don’t want people to get fooled by the lower snow totals that we’re now expecting.”
Meteorologists are now expecting anywhere from 2 to 5 inches of snow across Chicagoland, down from the 4 to 6 inches that were expected earlier.
“The cold that’s going to be moving in, it’s going to be very, very brutal. First, we have a very stout cold front that’s going to be moving in Thursday afternoon,” Doom said. “That’s going to bring our temperatures from just above freezing down to the single digits within a matter of hours. It’s going to be very sharp drop in temperatures, and that can result in what we refer to as a flash freeze.”
In anticipation of the expected single-digit temperatures, Preckwinkle said many suburban municipalities will be opening warming centers.
“If you do not have adequate heat in your home, we ask you to seek one of these shelters,” Preckwinkle said. County officials said those centers are also available for those who might lose power in the storm.
The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services opens six warming centers across the city when temperatures reach 32 degrees or below, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Garfield Community Service Center at 10 S. Kedzie Ave. is open 24 hours to connect families and residents to emergency shelter. City residents may also call 311 to be connected to available services.
Snowfall is initially likely to melt on roads into water and then freeze into ice as temperatures drop, creating dangerous conditions for driving, particularly late Thursday, Doom said.
“Our crews are going to be working diligently to monitor conditions and keep the roadways as clear as possible,” said county transportation Superintendent Sis Killen, but even after snow is cleared, sections of roadway could be covered quickly again thanks to blowing snow.
Mobilization of plows will begin Thursday. Killen asked drivers not to crowd or attempt to pass them.
“Our dedicated drivers will be working around the clock ... until (county-maintained) roads are completely clear,” Killen said.
County and city officials encouraged people to take the time Wednesday to fill prescriptions and gas tanks, and prepare emergency kits for their cars. Drivers should have at least a half a tank of gas, a shovel, windshield scraper, small broom, road salt, tow chain, jumper cables, emergency flares, a flashlight, hats, gloves, blankets, a first aid kit and necessary medications, they said.
At home, officials urged people to “refrain from using” stovetops or ovens as a heating source. Without proper ventilation, they could lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Symptoms include a bad headache and nausea. If you experience those symptoms, officials said to leave the home and seek medical attention.
To opt in for emergency alerts, county residents can text ALERTCOOK to 888777.
