A roundup of the region's top stories for Wednesday, Feb. 2.
Here are the top stories from Patch sites in your area: McHenry County Crews Work to Keep Roads Clear Parking Restrictions on Downtown Streets Blizzard Cancels Schools, Closes Churches and Library Braving the Blizzard Patch Arm Me Heads to Color Me Mine
In this Article:
Snow appears to be stopping, but the cleanup has only begun.
Punxsutawney Phil's prediction of an early Spring seems elusive to anyone venturing out on this Groundhog Day. The few drivers seen on the road found their cars either stuck in over a foot of snow or sliding on thick sheets of ice. A gas-guzzling — but mobile — SUV seems downright desirable right now. This morning, broadcast meteorists spoke of spinouts, jack-knived trucks, abandoned cars littering highways and the more than 1,300 flights canceled at O'Hare Airport. While the snow appears to be stopping, the work has only begun. Is it really a surprise that Phil's accuracy level is only 39 percent!
Gusting winds expected to exacerbate conditions during snowstorm, making travel nearly impossible.
A winter blizzard is heading this way and it could compare to the worse storms in recent history, including those in January 1967 and January 1999. “We’re going to be measuring total snowfall in feet,” said Ed Fenelon, meteorologist for the National Weather Service, Chicago office. The worse conditions are expected from 9 p.m. Tuesday until 5 a.m., Wednesday, he said. “Snowfall will be heavy and at times visibility will be less than 100 feet. We’re expecting 2 to 3 inches per hour at the height of the storm. That rate is tremendous,” Fenelon said. The quickly accumulating snow will make it difficult for snowplows to keep up with the storm. High winds are expected to exacerbate the problem conditions. “Winds could be gusting at 40 miles per…
Cindy Barrymore
7:15 pm on Thursday, February 3, 2011
Thanks for getting that guy out (and providing some additional excitement to the photo!). Had you not come along, he and his son would've been there at least another half-hour shoveling to break free. more ›