Snow's winding down in suburbs - now brace yourself for frigid temps
The first snow of the season - dumping the heavy, white stuff across the suburbs and canceling hundreds of flights at O'Hare and Midway - will be followed by frigid temperatures, forecasters say.
Wintry weather's arrival delivered a one-two punch. Though the snow that started Friday tapered off by Saturday evening, forecasters now are warning of icy conditions and urge caution on roads. Wind chills Sunday morning will feel as low as 8 degrees below zero, the National Weather Service said.
The dense snow disrupted travel plans at O'Hare, where 11.2 inches was recorded - the second highest November total on the books, according to the National Weather Service. More than 580 flights had been canceled, and airlines were reporting at least hourlong delays early Saturday evening. At Midway, more than 190 flights were grounded.
The suburbs were so much the epicenter of the winter storm that the Weather Channel broadcast live from the Arlington Heights Metra station Saturday morning.
Lake County towns ranked among the hardest hit areas of the region. In Mundelein, more than 16 inches of snow fell by Saturday afternoon.
Gurnee Director of Public Works Tom Rigwood said his village was well prepared for the snowstorm. A full complement of vehicles and crews worked to clear roads after at least 17 trees had snapped from the weight of the snow.
Rigwood advised caution with both the possible slipperiness of the roads as well as in approaching low-hanging tree branches or wires.
And the weather posed challenges for state playoff high school football games - for ground crews clearing fields, players dealing with cold temperatures, slippery footballs and poor visibility, and fans freezing in the stands.
In Mundelein, the high school's Future Business Leaders of America chapter had been poised to hold its own version of "The Amazing Race" to fundraise for its travel to statewide and national competitions. But the seemingly unending snowfall caused too many participants to back out of the event, which would have required driving to several different locations, said Ron Girard, the high school's public information officer. A backup date was not immediately scheduled.
While the snow ended one opportunity, it created another.
Elgin High School student Justin Plata and two friends went on Facebook to solicit shoveling business in Elgin, with homeowners able to offer as much as they thought their job was worth.
By late morning, the boys had finished two jobs for $15 each and were looking forward to their next at $30 each.
This was the first time they'd tried Facebook to find such work, in an example of necessity being the mother of invention.
"We're just trying to save up for Black Friday," Plata laughed.
Have snow photos?
Sometimes, the first snow of the year is a few flakes. This one, though, packed some punch, especially in the far north and west suburbs. Send your snow photos to <a href="mailto:share@dailyherald.com">share@dailyherald.com</a>. Include your name, town and a brief description. We'll post as many as we can online.