This story originally ran in the Chicago Tribune on April 2, 1970.
A record-breaking springs snowstorm hit Chicago late yesterday, dumping more than eight inches of slushy snow on the city. The weather bureau predicted an accumulation of 10 inches or more by dawn.
Unlike a similar snowstorm that paralyzed much of the Chicago area just a week before, yesterday’s storm made its effects felt during the evening rush hour. Last week’s storm roared in during the late evening hours, surprising morning risers with 14.3 inches of snow.
Records are broken
Yesterday’s snow set two records:
Total snowfall for a winter season. The previous record was 68.4 inches in 1967. The new record is 74.7 inches, recording the new snowfall thru early today at Midway airport, the official reporting station. (Editor’s note: The 1978-79 snowfall season total of 89.7 inches is the highest seasonal snowfall total on record.)
Most snowfall on an April 1. The old record was 2.4 inches in 1951. By early today, 8.4 inches had fallen.
The record for any day in April, set on April 6, 1938, is 9.1 inches. (Editor’s note: More than 9 inches of snow fell on April 5, 1982, according to WGN-Ch. 9.)
The weather bureau record for total snow fall for the month of April was 13.2 inches set in 1938.
Trains are delayed
The afternoon snowfall caused traffic jams during the evening rush hour. Motorists reported that their travel time home was tripled in many cases.
Trains reported similar delays because of the storm. The Illinois Central railroad reported it had 30-minute delays on all of its trains during the rush hour because a power line fell across tracks at Randolph street.
A power failure at the South Shore railroad’s 124th street crossing caused that railroad’s trains to run up to 2 1/2 hours late.
O’Hare flights resumed
Other railroads serving the Chicago area reported that in spite of rush hour delays, normal operations were being carried out by 8:30 p.m.
Officials at O’Hare International airport halted arrivals and departures by 5 p.m. yesterday, but resumed operations on a limited basis at midnight. Altho most flights to and from O’Hare had been canceled or diverted earlier, six flights an hour were landing or departing early today, officials said.
Loop hotels, including the Conrad Hilton and the Palmer House, reported that many prospective air travelers had registered for rooms. Hotel representatives said that few Loop workers took rooms for the night.
Minor CTA delays
Police put an emergency traffic plan into effect at 4:30 p.m., and “snow command” workers manned 360 plows and salt spreaders.
The state highway department sent half its work crews home during the day so they could return last night to help man the 150 trucks on the highways.
The Chicago transit authority said it was having only small delays. Buses and elevated trains continued to run, and CTA officials said they expected they would be able to handle normal operations today.
Commonwealth Edison company officials said that small power failures were reported thruout the suburbs last night. The company sent out 200 crews to handle the failures and they were repaired quickly.
Failures were reported in Palatine, Schaumburg, Elgin, Lombard, and Glen Ellyn, company spokesmen said.
Phone calls increase
The Illinois Bell Telephone company said the snow had caused no major service problems. However, spokesmen said, telephone usage increased 10 per cent because of the storm.
Altho the main traffic problem occurred during the evening rush hour, suburban police said that traffic accidents hampered the flow of traffic thruout the night.
A traffic accident on the Tri-State tollway a mile east of the Indiana-Illinois state line caused traffic to back up for more than a mile.
In Lake county, sheriffs police said more than 40 accidents were reported during the rush hour. More than 20 accidents were reported by Du Page county sheriff’s police. Deputy Allen McKechnie said traffic was extremely light, apparently because of the storm.
Tow trucks delayed
Cars that were abandoned or had skidded into ditches in the south suburbs had to wait for up to four hours for tow trucks to remove them, police said.
The increased number of minor accidents in Chicago caused police to ask motorists involved to go to the nearest district stations to report them. Normally, police are sent to the scene to make reports.
Police said the storm caused a sharp reduction in crime in the city. Only 122 prisoners were taken into the department’s 21 district stations last night, about 50 per cent less than normal. The Monroe street district reported that many of the 24 prisoners taken in there were transients seeking refuge from the storm.
Watch snowstorm movie
Loop movie houses reported attendance was nearly normal. Patrons at the Oriental theater watched the film, “Airport,” in which a heavy winter snowstorm paralyzed traffic at a large airport.
Hopeful theater-goers showed up at the Shubert theater, the manager said, expecting to obtain tickets as a result of last-minute cancellation for “Hair.” There were few cancellations, he said, and more than 50 persons were disappointed.
A spokesman at White Sox park reported that workers spread tarpaulins on the playing field to keep the grass in good condition for the opening of the baseball season.
A security guard at the John Hancock center said that people showed up at the 94th floor observation deck thruout the night to watch the snowstorm.
“The view is not as bad as most people think,” he said. “It’s not as good as on a clear day, but you make out the outline of the city.”
The snow also struck in other parts of the country. Heavy snow was reported in Kansas, Iowa, Indiana, and Michigan.
Nine inches of snow was reported in Flagstaff, Ariz. Thunderstorms and high winds caused flooding in some areas of Georgia, the weather bureau said.
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