First snowfall of season blankets suburbs
The first snowfall of the season blanketed the suburbs Sunday, causing slippery road conditions throughout the region and delaying hundreds of flights at O'Hare and Midway airports.
Now, forecasters say residents should prepare for a chilly week ahead, with temperatures anticipated to reach below freezing. The National Weather Service predicts Friday will be the coldest day of the week, with a high near 22 degrees and a low around 16 degrees.
Sunday's winter storm, which began in the morning and continued through the evening, was expected to dump between 3 and 7 inches of snow in the Chicago area, according to the National Weather Service. At times, the snowfall resulted in limited visibility and hazardous road conditions for drivers.
About 6.4 inches of snow had accumulated at O'Hare International Airport by 8 p.m., the National Weather Service reported, making it the heaviest December snowfall in Chicago since Dec. 8, 2005, when 6.7 inches of snow fell.
As the snow lightened up Sunday evening, forecasters said hazardous weather would likely continue with an elevated risk of fog throughout the night into Monday morning.
As of 8:30 p.m., 1,036 inbound and outbound flights were delayed and 280 were canceled at O'Hare, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation. At Midway International Airport, 177 flights were delayed and 74 were canceled.
In Naperville, dispatchers reported receiving more calls for service than normal as a result of the slippery and potentially hazardous roads.
But in Des Plaines, Sgt. Robert Dvorak said police have not seen a significant increase in accidents. With the winter storm occurring over the weekend rather than on a weekday, he said, more people are likely staying off the roads.
Elgin police Cmdr. Al Young said the snow did not lead to a notable increase in calls for service, and there have been few traffic incidents that were out of the ordinary.
"It's always nice (for drivers) to be extra careful because the first snow of the year, we always get an increase in accidents," Young said. "Fortunately this year, it hasn't happened. It looks like everybody's being a little bit more careful."
One car slid into a utility pole Sunday evening because of the weather, he said, but nobody was injured. ComEd reported 179 customers were affected by power outages as a result of the crash; crews were replacing the pole, and power was expected to be restored by midnight.