A powerful winter storm is moving across the Chicago area, bringing heavy snowfall, hazardous travel, and widespread disruptions.
The “Winter Storm Warning” was issued as early as the morning of Nov. 27, and was set for Saturday morning, starting at approximately 3 a.m. and continuing until 6 a.m. Sunday morning.
Chicagoland is expected to receive around 8-12 inches of snow for the entirety of the warning – the first time in five years the region has anticipated over 6 inches from one system. According to National Weather Service Data, the last time Chicago experienced this severe of a snowstorm was Feb. 15, 2021, where areas such as Oak Park reported 18.2 inches of snow.
“Lucky for me, my flight got in before midnight, and I got no turbulence, which got us here earlier. We were coming from the west coast, so it was all good,” Sharon Lloyd, a West Chicago resident, said.
During the storm, experts discourage any form of travel. O’Hare has reportedly already cancelled 703 of their flights and counting, with the average delay time of 68 minutes, while Midway has cancelled 76 flights with a delay of 15 minutes or less.
On Route 64, crossing into St. Charles, the roads are slippery and dangerous; trucks with 4×4 tires have skidded off onto the side of the roads, and vehicles have broken down due to the storm.
“Estaba tratando de salir y ya no quería mover el carro, es un milagro que llegue a la casa”, Adriana Lopez, West Chicago resident said. “I was trying to go out, and the car would not want to move anymore; it is a miracle I made it back home.”
West Chicago Community High School (WCCHS) began to prepare for possible snow days if conditions worsen. On Tuesday morning, during Den classes, teachers went over the e-Learning instructions that every student received in their Google Classroom. In the event of an e-Learning day, an announcement will be made via email, text, and the school’s website by 10 p.m. the night prior to the school day. WCCHS students are expected to fill out an attendance form for each period of the day and complete any assignments assigned by teachers on e-Learning days.
As conditions are expected to worsen through the afternoon, authorities and experts warn residents to stay indoors and keep warm.
