Less snow than anticipated, but strong winds and frigid cold persist

A winter storm that threatened blizzard-like conditions throughout the area brought less snow than anticipated, but meteorologists warn strong winds and severe cold will persist into the weekend.

While meteorologists at the National Weather Service's Romeoville office said the snow threat has largely moved out of the area, a winter storm warning remains in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday.

"Winds are going to peak during the early half of this afternoon, and that's when you're likely to see those wind gusts above 50 mph," meteorologist Kevin Doom said. "But it's going to remain breezy Saturday into Sunday."

Along with the wind, temperatures are expected to remain in the single digits through the weekend.

Motorists should take precautions when driving because of the threat of drifting and blowing snow.

The storm that arrived in the suburbs at around noon Thursday didn't set any records, and few reports of damage were reported regionally.

Doom said there was a possibility Friday "might sneak" into the 10-coldest Dec. 23's in Chicago's history, but temperatures had yet to cross that threshold.

O'Hare International Airport's weather station, the official reading for the area, recorded just 1.3 inches of snow and a peak wind chill readout of -33.

Areas to the south of the city saw more snow, including 2.5 inches at the weather service office in Romeoville and 1.9 inches near Midway International Airport. Outlying suburban areas also saw colder wind chills, with a report of -39 in Sugar Grove overnight.

Many schools, libraries, park districts and other government agencies canceled events Friday because of the extreme cold.

The Des Plaines Public Library will be closed through Monday because of the weather and holiday weekend. Libraries in Barrington and Wheeling are also closed through the weekend.

Maine Township High School District 207 canceled all activities until Monday, officials reported.

The Mundelein Park and Recreation District has also closed all facilities until Monday.

ComEd is reporting few issues with outages. No major power outages were reported, but there were spotty issues throughout the area with 43 outages affecting a little more than 400 customers.

A warmup is expected early next week with temperatures climbing into the upper 40s, but rain is expected to accompany the warmer air.