Results tagged “snow”

While the Chicago area has already seen two measurable snowfalls in the last week, it may be small beans if a storm developing out west takes just the right track at just the right time. While the sun has made some appearances this weekend, more snow moves in tonight with the chance of up to another inch accumulating along with some frozen rain, though the National Weather Service says there will be no ice accumulations. Still, all weather eyes are focused on Tuesday when a storm could bring a significant winter precipitation event to the area.

A day after Mayor Bilandic Daley admitted mistakes were made in plowing roads after last week's season-opening snow, a fleet of snow plows have hit the streets of Chicago this morning to clear and salt the streets of today's fresh snowfall. The city Dept. of Streets & Sanitation had 184 plows on the road by 4:30 a.m. Department spokesman Matt Smith said the priority would be keeping the main streets clear and then clear side streets based on complaints to 311.

We're double-checking for signs of the apocalypse as Mayor Daley has admitted mistakes were made in taking care of snow after this week's first snowstorm of the season. "There are some complaints. We're taking those complaints very seriously. Why is it the rest of the block is OK but that little corner is not? Like anything else, you try to find out, 'Did they skip it?' That's what we're trying to figure out, and we will." This on the heels of an announcement earlier this week that side streets will face delays in getting plowed.

The same City Hall that's shelling out almost $60 million for new SUVs is now telling us they don't have enough money to plow and salt side streets in a timely fashion. Streets and Sanitation Cmdr. Mike Picardi said that less salt is being used and side streets may have to wait longer to be plowed in an effort to save money, citing yesterday's snow as an example: according to Picardi, it cost the city $500,000 to salt and plow the city's streets.

The Streets and San boss says that, to save money on overtime costs, he’ll delay sending salt trucks and plows onto side streets after a weekend snowfall, unless conditions on the side streets become dangerous.

Continue reading "City Cutting Side Street Plowing"

Huzzah! A new day is upon us and tomorrow, a new month. Making it only fitting that by the time December arrives at midnight, we could have a fresh layer of snow on the ground, the first measurable amount for Chicago this season. We're starting out the day with a mix which will change over to snow in the afternoon as the temp drops from around 40 to the lower 30s. As much as two inches could fall on some areas by the evening. There'll be more snow tonight, too, as an additional 3 to 4 inches could fall, bringing the total snow accumulations by Monday morning ranging from around 3 to 8 inches. Of course, with warmer temps, those accumulations, especially earlier in the day, will be confined to grassy areas. And some melting could lessen total accumulations...you know what? It's gonna snow. More than 0 inches, less than 10 inches. There. Drive safe, everyone!

As if summer coming to a close weren’t enough to stir up our seasonal depression, now we hear the Farmers' Almanac is predicting a nasty winter in our neck of the woods. The almanac, which boasts an 80 to 85 percent accuracy rate for weather forecasting, claims that two-thirds of the country will experience lower-than-average temperatures, and the upper Midwest will experience more than its normal share of snowfall.

The City of Chicago is fighting with the Federal Emergency Management Agency over nearly $6 million in federal disaster money the city used for snow removal in 1999 and 2000. In a complaint filed in federal court, the city says that it had a right to use those funds to clear runways at O'Hare and Midway. FEMA has been trying to recover those funds for three years, contending that airlines should have paid for snow removal services at the airports. “That’s a conclusion we disagree with,” a spokeswoman for the city’s Law Department told Crain's.

Our feelings about this recent winter progressed like this: we were initially excited about the cold and snow, were merely tolerating it a few months later, and now we are completely sick of winter and want it to GO AWAY. It’s been a pretty snowy time of it these last few months, and with yesterday’s seasonally invasive snowfall, it has officially become Chicago’s seventh snowiest winter season since we started keeping track of these things in 1884.

Wintry mix ≠ out like a lamb. [NWS]

James Hole of Brookfield allegedly murdered Ann Nelson, his 71-year-old real estate agent. He says he became upset when Nelson asked why he wanted to look at houses he could not purchase. [AP]

ATA is going to stop flying out of Midway. Nooooo. [Trib]

We woke up this morning to another fresh coat of snow on the ground. While we're certainly among the ranks of those who just wished this winter would end already we have to concede that we have lived through worse.

What's With the Two Inches?