Snowstorm moves in: ‘Wind-whipped,’ near-blizzard-like snow will continue Friday, weather service advises to reconsider travel

CHICAGO — Near-blizzard snow conditions blew across Chicago early Friday morning, leaving thousands without power, driving on dangerous roads and experiencing flight cancellations out of the city’s two major airports.

The National Weather Service advised drivers to reconsider travel Friday morning as “wind-whipped” heavy, wet snow blanketed much of the Chicago area overnight. Up to seven inches could accumulate on the ground throughout the day.

“We’re certainly looking at, at the least for the year, one of the most significant snowstorms for the city,” said meteorologist Jake Petr.

A winter storm warning is in place for most of the Chicago area until noon Saturday.

As of Friday morning, the western and southwestern suburbs had received 4 to 7 inches of snow. More northern areas closer to Chicago had received 2 to 3 ½ inches. The fast-moving storm blanketed Naperville in at least 5.5 inches of snow as of Friday morning, causing school, city and facility closures to mount ahead of more inclement weather expected through the day.

On various stretches of I-80 and I-90, visibility was less than a half mile, the weather service said, creating “hazardous to downright dangerous” road conditions.

An IDOT online map of road conditions showed most roads in Northern Illinois as at least partly covered with snow. Illinois State Police reported Friday it assisted 89 motorists, which includes slide offs and spin-outs, on interstates and routes in the area.

With as much as two inches of snow falling per hour Friday morning and winds up to 35 mph, up to four to seven inches of snow could pile up on the ground by noon, the weather service predicted. The worst areas are predicted to be near and north of I-80.

Anywhere from 2 to 6 additional inches are predicted Friday night and Saturday morning, Petr said. Areas closer to the lake will see lower totals, he added.

South of I-80 and closer to the lake, snow transitioned to rain early Friday afternoon, but snow will return throughout the area Friday night into Saturday morning, NWS predicted. Gusts could reach up to 45 mph, with almost zero visibility, and travel could be impacted in the morning.

In the south suburbs, conditions are expected to significantly worsen overnight as winds pick up. Wind speeds could reach 50 mph.

“That could result in, especially in open areas, a potential for near-blizzard conditions,” Petr said.

On Saturday night, wind chills could reach as low as -30 degrees Fahrenheit.

More than 96,000 ComEd customers were affected by power outages across Northern Illinois Friday morning, according to the company’s outage map. Shortly after noon, that number had dropped to 53,000 customers experiencing outages, including 10,000 in Chicago.

Airline passengers in Chicago were left scrambling with hundreds of flights canceled Friday morning at Chicago’s two airports, including nearly 800 at O’Hare International Airport shortly before noon, according to flight tracking service FlightAware.

At O’Hare Friday, hundreds of anxious travelers gathered in the departures terminal awaiting updates for their flights, slumping in chairs beside piles of luggage or sitting on the floor as they scrolled through their phones.

Passangers could be seen glancing at the flight information board, which listed dozens of canceled flights in red letters. A line of at least a dozen people formed at one airline’s customer service desk.

“It’s just terrible,” said Sam Fujiwara, 42, whose Southwest flight to Denver had been canceled. He had traveled to Chicago for work and been placed on another flight Saturday night.

”This has been a terrible trip,” he said. “I knew the storm was coming, so this is where I’m at now.”

Tracy Herbolich, 38, clutched her toddler in her arms as she wheeled her suitcase. She had been traveling to Phoenix to meet friends, but her United flight had been delayed two hours.

”Yeah, it’s hard,” the Elmhurst resident said. “But I mean, there’s nothing they can do with the weather. As long as they can keep us updated, we can get out.”

For lucky passengers without flight cancelations, driving to O’Hare on slick, icy roads proved the most challenging part of the morning.

As Charlie Cates, of Schaumburg, waited at O’Hare for his family’s 10:50 a.m. flight to Fort Lauderdale, he said the mood was calm around their gate, with no sign yet of a delay or cancellation. He said the roads to the airport were the worst of his travel day so far, with dangerous driving conditions on I-90.

“You could tell the plows had been out but the snow was coming down so quickly,” said Cates. “Once we parked and got in the airport, everything has been much easier.”

At Midway Airport, more than 275 flights were canceled, most of them on Midway’s dominant carrier, Southwest.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued ground stops for O’Hare at times Friday morning because of the weather.

Meanwhile, CTA suspended service on the Yellow Line, recently reopened after a lengthy closure following a crash, because of debris on the tracks. The line reopened around 10:30 a.m.

Five bus routes that typically travel on Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Lake Shore Drive — the #6, #J14, #26, #146 and #147 — were rerouted off the lakefront road because of the weather.

Among multiple Metra delays Friday morning, trains on Metra’s Union Pacific Northwest Line were stopped near Barrington because power lines in the area were down. Amtrak had also canceled multiple trains in and out of Chicago Union Station, including multiple long distance trains, several Hiawatha trains to Milwaukee, and some trains Downstate.

Despite the National Weather Service’s winter storm warning, Chicago Public Schools classes remained in session Friday, although the district announced in the afternoon that all after-school and out-of-school activities, including athletic practices and games, would be canceled Friday and Saturday, due to the increasing wind and snow. Only selective enrollment testing this Saturday at the Illinois Institute of Technology will proceed as planned, the district said.

With extreme cold predicted on Monday and Tuesday, CPS wrote, “We will contact all staff and families as early as possible this weekend with a final decision on if Martin Luther King Day events on Monday, January 15 and classes on Tuesday, January 16 will move forward.

In a letter sent to staff and families Monday, CEO Pedro Martinez wrote, “We know that along with education, our students rely on their schools to provide meals, and a safe, warm environment. Therefore, CPS does everything possible to keep classes in session regardless of the weather.” Factors which shape the district’s decision are the air temperature and wind chill; the amount of snow and ice on the ground; the accessibility of buildings and roads; potential issues with heating systems or power outages; and the ability to transport students safely on buses, CPS wrote in its announcement Friday.

During inclement weather, facilities staff work diligently to ensure that heating systems are functioning properly and that sidewalks and parking lots are cleared of ice and snow, the district said, adding that schools also limit the time students spend outdoors at recess.

The Fifth Municipal District Courthouse in Bridgeview closed Friday because of a power outage, Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans said in a release. Initial court appearances for domestic violence and criminal cases were to be heard at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.

Misdemeanor and traffic case defendants would be notified of their next court date, and civil cases will be continued until Tuesday, Judge Kennedy said.

With another overnight snow system on the way, people continued to flock to grocery stores to pick up essential items and stock up on pantry staples.

Dom’s Kitchen and Market was packed Friday at both its Lincoln Park and Old Town locations, according to Lauren Bijur, director of merchandising. Many people were working from Dom’s in-store cafes as customers dealt with power outages at home, Bijur said. Dom’s was also seeing more online orders for groceries and prepared meals than is typical for a Friday.

Swetal Patel, managing partner of the Patel Brothers grocery chain, said shoppers have been stocking up on basic staples like bread, milk and eggs as well as rice, lentils and spices over the last few days. “The numbers are up by 30, 35%,” he said, referring to sales over the same period last year.

Patel Brothers stores, of which there are three in the suburbs and one in the city, remain well-stocked, Patel said.

An employee at Devon Market in Rogers Park said the store was busy Thursday and was still seeing a steady stream of customers stocking up on pantry items Friday, perhaps because shoppers were preparing for sub-zero temperatures expected this weekend. “They have been thanking us for being open,” the employee said.

Early next week, wind chills could reach -20 degrees, weather officials said.

On Friday morning, the city deployed 287 salt spreaders to clear snow and ice.

City officials urged drivers to have a full tank of gas before heading out, yield to emergency vehicles and snowplows when driving and to carry an emergency kit with a cellphone charger, food and water. Drivers should also allow for extra time and leave ample space between cars, according to a news release.

Overnight parking bans are also enforced on more than 100 main streets in the city from 3 to 7 a.m. until April to allow enough space for snow removal.

People have been advised to stay indoors as conditions worsen. Ice jams may develop in river areas, and visibility will decrease with the rising snowfall, officials said.

“It’s going to make for dangerous travel conditions,” meteorologist David King said. “Whether or not we actually meet blizzard criteria doesn’t take away from the fact the impacts are going to be very dangerous on the road.”

It’s expected to be the most severe storm so far this season, King said.

Due to a strong El Nino, scientists predicted that Chicago’s winter would be milder and drier than normal, with Monday’s overnight system the first “significant” storm of the winter.

Volunteers and advocates voiced concerned about how the city’s homeless and newly arrived, asylum-seeking population would survive the next several days.

The homeless outreach organization, the Night Ministry, was adjusting its staffing and has stepped up communication to the homeless about their options for staying warm, according to Erin Ryan, senior vice president.

Annie Gomberg, who volunteers with arriving migrants, worried about how new arrivals would handle the weather, particularly with so many being from countries with warm climates. “They have never experienced this,” she said.

Gomberg was similarly concerned that new arrivals staying warm on CTA buses would have to remain on buses continuously until temperatures rose. As of Friday morning, 141 asylum-seekers were awaiting placement at the city’s landing zone in the West Loop, with many already hungry and sick.

The city’s Department of Family and Support services is set to activate warming areas in the city’s six community service centers as temperatures remain below freezing.

The shelters are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The city encouraged residents to stay inside as temperatures plummet later this weekend. Drivers should travel with a full tank of gas and supplies in case of an emergency.

On Thursday night, Tori Rice said she had been too busy to stock up on supplies for the snowstorm.

The Bronzeville resident said she spent Thursday fulfilling orders for the grocery delivery app Instacart as Chicagoans requested deliveries of everything from paper towels to alcohol. An earlier order had been entirely “bulky stuff — milk, orange juice,” Rice said. “Stuff to stay inside.”

In the parking lot of a Binny’s liquor store in the River North neighborhood, Rice glanced down at her current order: Champagne and plastic flutes, cognac, multiple boxes of wine.

“Looks like people are celebrating tonight,” she said.

Rice said she’d probably spend the weekend and part of next week indoors. She didn’t think the snowfall itself would be too much of an issue, given the so-far mild winter, the forecast for subzero temperatures was her main concern.

“I think the freezing cold will be the thing,” she said.

Updates from the Chicago suburbs:

•In-person school is out Friday for thousands of students across northwest suburban Chicago

•West suburban school districts switch to remote learning

•Multiple North Shore schools close for severe winter weather

•Naperville receives at least 5.5 inches of snow so far

•Naperville snow/winter weather closures and cancellations

(Tribune reporters Caroline Kubzansky, Talia Soglin, Shanzeh Ahmad and Tess Kenny contributed to this report.)

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