Grab your shovels -- again
By early Monday afternoon, the backup plow drivers had already been alerted and weary public works crews readied for yet another storm.
We've all had it with the shoveling and the white-knuckle commutes. But the exasperation factor grows exponentially as you travel north.
Snow fell continuously through the night, adding to the pile that has accumulated throughout the month of February. Authorities warn travelers that airport delays and hazardous driving conditions are expected this morning as winds gusts of up to 40 miles per hour are expected to add to the mess.
The National Weather Service said the system is expected to drop up to seven inches of snow in some areas before it ends later this morning.
The Chicago Department of Aviation says more than 300 flights were canceled at O'Hare International Airport, with flights averaging delays of 90 minutes Monday night. "Minor" cancellations have been reported at Midway International Airport, with some flights delayed up to 30 minutes.
Illinois Department of Transportation Director Milton Sees says motorists should be wary of whiteout conditions. He encourages people to take public transportation today, if possible.
More Coverage Stories Are we sick of the snow yet? [02/25/08] Links Local school closings Traffic conditions Snowfall totals O'Hare flight information AccuWeather radar Video You could be stuck here This is by far the snowiest February Antioch has seen, and there is an outside chance at a new seasonal milestone.Before the snow began falling Monday, O'Hare International Airport had recorded 45.1 inches of snow since November. Antioch residents scoff at that. With 71.2 inches this season, the town on the Wisconsin border seems to have been at the center of the bulls-eye."Our record is just over 100 inches, but we've got a little ways to go" said Jim Gutowski, supervisor of wastewater operations, who keeps track of such things for the National Weather Service.Neighboring Lindenhurst hasn't fared much better, reporting 68.5 inches."It kind of follows a line along the north end from Grand Avenue to (Route) 173 -- it seems like there's a pattern," said Steve Auth, public works superintendent.Indeed, there is. Several weather factors have coalesced this season to create conditions that have pounded southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois over and over again.The pattern has been so persistent that it prompted Jeff Craven, science and operations officer at the National Weather Service in Sullivan, Wis., to write about it for other National Weather Service employees.Before Monday, Madison had received nearly 87 inches of snow -- 10 inches more than the previous all-time record.The culprit is a weather phenomenon known as La Nina, which begins with unusually cool water temperatures along the equator in the Pacific Ocean. This usually produces wetter-than-normal weather in the Ohio Valley and near-normal temperatures and precipitation in southern Wisconsin, Craven said.But this year, the wettest area moved up a state, centering on northern Indiana rather than western Kentucky."Although it is a small difference if you consider the size of the United States, it is obviously a huge impact on our winter snow season," he wrote.There have been other factors, too: bull; The jet stream, which helps steer storms, has being barreling between a trough of low pressure over the Rocky Mountains and a ridge of high pressure in eastern states. Storms tracking along this path, Craven reported, favor frequent, heavy snows. Like what was forecast for Monday."It certainly fits that mold. No doubt about," he said.bull; Oh, and the jet stream speed has been well above normal, which intensifies the storms.bull; Another factor is barometric pressure has been lower than normal into the Great Lakes. You guessed it -- lower pressure means heavier snows. bull; Add to that an above-average rising motion of air that favors the efficient formation of snowflakes.Mundelein Public Works Director Ken Miller put it more simply. The village had tallied 66#189; inches before Monday's snowfall. "It's kind of like the year I started, 1978-79. It started (snowing) and never quit."More snow has meant more stress on everyone, as well as their equipment."It has an effect on everything from man to machine," Auth said.Models suggest the La Nina will continue into the spring and possibly summer, according to Craven."Severe weather is pretty common in La Nina springs," he said. Got snow?Selected snow totals, in inches, from the Chicago area. Note that most totals are unofficial.Antioch: 71.2 Arlington Heights: 71Barrington: 58.2Chicago O'Hare: 45.1 DeKalb: 47.2Elgin: 46.6Gurnee: 61 Harvard: 59.2Kankakee: 13.9Kenosha, Wis.: 60Libertyville: 65Lindenhurst: 68.5Madison, Wis.: 86.7McHenry: 50.6Milwaukee: 66.2Naperville: 53Rockford: 59.9Roselle: 54.5 Vernon Hills: 64 Woodstock: 70 Source: National Weather Service; individual communities 512340In her native Hong Kong, Yuetwah Tsang never sees snow, so Monday's large flakes were a treat for the Judson College business student as she walked to the fitness center.John Starks | Staff Photographer 381512Snow begins to coat fox statues on the Main Street Bridge in downtown St. Charles.Mary Beth Nolan | Staff Photographer 390241Crews clean off snow from the AMC Theatre in Warrenville, after snow started falling Monday evening.Bev Horne | Staff Photographer