A public works crew clears the sidewalk in front of the Mount Prospect Public Library Saturday morning.
JOE LEWNARD/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
It's beginning to look a lot like winter, as the first snow of the season coats the suburbs.
Snow began falling at 11:30 p.m. Friday at O'Hare International Airport, the region's official weather reporting station, said Charles Mott, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Chicago office.
“The heavy snow will end right around noon and then there will be flurries for most of the afternoon and into the evening,” Mott said.
Residents of LaSalle, Livingston and Ford counties south of the suburbs are receiving the heaviest snow totals from this storm, Mott said. The city of LaSalle had the highest total at 11 a.m. with 6.9 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
A reporting station in St. Charles recorded the most snow in the suburbs, with 4.5 inches, but other locations in the city received only 2.9 or 2.4 inches. Hoffman Estates and Lisle each reported 3 inches at 11 a.m. and Lincolnshire reported 2.5, according to the National Weather Service.
At O'Hare, 1.7 inches of snow had fallen by 11 a.m. According to the Chicago Department of Aviation, 325 flights had been canceled at O'Hare and other flights were being delayed for 30 minutes or more.
This storm, which brought with it moisture from the Pacific Ocean, is dumping heavy, wet snow on the land in its path, Mott said. When snow stops falling, Mott said suburban residents can expect temperatures to drop.
Images: Snowfall in the suburbs
Maintenance worker Russ Jackson shovels the sidewalk adjacent to the Mount Prospect Public Library Saturday morning.
JOE LEWNARD/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
From left, Ashley Harrington, her grandma Pat Marshall, Danny Harrington and mom Jen Harrington make their way through the snowy parking lot on their way to Panera Bread for lunch in Vernon Hills Saturday.
Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com
A man makes his way Saturday through the snow carrying balloons from Party City in front of Dicks Sporting Goods in Hawthorn Hills Square in Vernon Hills.
Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com
Ethan Kukulski of Grayslake snowboards at Community Park, Mundelein, Saturday.
JOE LEWNARD/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
Robert Trapani, 8, and Aiden Brommel, 9, both of Mundelein, sled at Community Park, Mundelein, Saturday.
JOE LEWNARD/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
Left to right, Matthew Kieft, 11, of Libertyville, his sister Rebecca, 9, and friend Keely Murphy, 6, of Mundelein sled down the hill at Community Park, Mundelein, Saturday.
JOE LEWNARD/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
Matt West plows a stretch of sidewalk in his Glendale Heights neighborhood Saturday. I do my two neighbors driveways, and I plow the sidewalk from Meddowlark to Cardninal every year, said West. Our little neighborhood is these three houses on Army Trail. We take care of each other.
Suzanne Caraker/scaraker@dailyherald.com
Matt West plows a stretch of sidewalk in his Glendale Heights neighborhood Saturday. I do my two neighbors driveways and I plow the sidewalk from Meddowlark to Cardninal every year, said West, whose sons Mike, background, and John joined the effort. Our little neighborhood is these three houses on Army Trail. We take care of each other.
Suzanne Caraker/scaraker@dailyherald.com
Nick Szczechowski of St. Charles runs in the Arlington Heights Rotary Club´s third annual Rotary Santa 5K run in a snowy downtown Arlington Heights on Saturday.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com