Old Man Winter delivered a messy one-two punch Saturday, socking the Chicago region once in the morning with snow, slush, rain, mist and fog, and again in the evening with several inches of thick, wet snow.
Just under a foot of snow was expected to be dumped on the city and suburbs by Sunday morning, almost twice the amount that usually falls during March.
Another round is expected Sunday, when the first subzero temperatures of the year may arrive, along with gusty northwest winds and snow.
Although more rain was mixed in than expected and some of the early snow melted, the National Weather Service’s weekend storm forecast was on target, said meteorologist Christine Krause.
On Sunday “temps will dip below zero and it’s the first time we’ve seen this,” Krause said. “With the windchill, that will be 15 to 20 degrees below zero by morning and winds should increase.”
By noon Saturday, the first wave of snow had left 6 inches at O’Hare and Midway airports, the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, and in Aurora. Crystal Lake and DeKalb both recorded 5 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
As of 6 p.m., O’Hare had recorded 8.3 inches of snow, with another 3 inches expected by Sunday morning.
The average snowfall in March is 6.5 inches.
Saturday’s snow was not powdery. Although it made excellent snowmen in the morning, it tended to melt as temperatures rose and the drizzle kept coming down. Mist also kept many people indoors.
Even tennis players at the Mid-Town Tennis Club in Chicago who were competing outside hoped for a bit more snow and cooler temperatures. “Snow is much better than rain,” said Augie DeLuca, 32, looking up at the gray skies between sets.
The reprieve between snowfalls lasted long enough to help workers from Chicago’s Department of Streets and Sanitation get the main thoroughfares and side streets clear. The city’s fleet of 261 salt spreaders and additional specialized trucks was dispatched.
“We caught enough of a break between the time of the first storm and the continuation from it that we were able to get the main portion of our snow-fighting truck fleet onto our side streets,” said Matt Smith, spokesman for the department. “We’ve been putting down salt, which is important with dropping temperatures.”
Last year, the city used 324,000 tons of salt during the winter. This season, about 50,000 tons have been used and 354,000 tons are in reserve, Smith said.
“Some claim Mother Nature let us off easy and is now paying us back, but when a storm comes in after rush hour on a Friday and the bulk of snow comes on a weekend, no matter how you slice it, you’re catching a break,” Smith said.
Airlines’ winter storm warnings on Friday allowed passengers to alter travel plans through Tuesday without penalties. The first storm had little effect on air travel, but as the second one descended Saturday night, more than 150 flights were canceled, according to Chicago Department of Aviation spokeswoman Monique Bond.
By 8 p.m. Saturday, Bond said no more cancellations were expected. “We’re just dealing with delays right now, from 30 minutes to two hours,” she said.
