Round 2: The coldest weather in two years. 
 
 After getting hit with its third-biggest snowstorm on record, the Chicago area is now under a wind chill advisory. Temperatures are expected to drop to 11-15 degrees below zero Wednesday night, with wind chills down to 25 to 35 below zero. 
 
 "It will mark the city's coldest weather since Jan. 15-16, 2009 when the mercury bottomed out at -13 and -18," the Chicago Weather Center reports. 
 
 The arctic freeze comes as the Chicago area is still reeling from the blizzard: motorists are still stranded, the airports are virtually empty, major roads are closed, Metra trains are running on limited schedules. 
 
 A blizzard warning was issued at 3 p.m. Tuesday and cancelled at 1:15 p.m. today. The snowfall total from the storm was pegged at 20.2 inches at O’Hare International Airport, making the Groundhog Day storm the third-largest in Chicago history, according to the weather service. 
 
 Other totals include: 20.6 inches in St. Charles, 20 inches in Beach Park, 20 inches in Ottawa, 18.5 inches in Elk Grove Village, 18 inches in Waukegan and 11 inches in Crown Point, Ind. 
 
 ComEd was reporting about 48,000 ComEd customers still without power, including 34,000 in Chicago. The utility had restored power to 143,000 customers since the storm began, according to ComEd spokeswoman Tabrina Davis. 
 
 "It’s visibility. It’s road accidents. It’s slick, treacherous road conditions," she said. "Our crews are experiencing that and, given those conditions, restoration times will be delayed." 
 
 The high winds also were hampering emergency crews that continued to rescue stranded motorists this morning throughout the Chicago area. 
 
 On Lake Shore Drive, nearly a thousand cars were stranded overnight. Just before dawn, firefighters walked down the line of snow-caked cars, shining flashlights inside to check on any motorists. At 6:30 a.m., fire officials said anyone who wanted to be rescued from their cars had been, though at least one driver disputed that. 
 
 Both directions of the drive remained closed as cars were towed away, but officials hope to have the drive open later in the day. 
 
 In Lake County, about 30 motorists were stranded after a jackknifed truck brought traffic to a standstill near Antioch. 
 
 No major injuries have been reported so far on the roads, but officials say a 60-year-old man pulled from Diversey Harbor early this morning was either blown or fell into the lake at the height of the storm. He was pronounced dead at the scene. 
 
 A 58-year-old Lyons man died after shoveling snow in front of his home. Because the road was impassable, he was taken via police armored vehicle to a waiting ambulance, which took him toLoyola University Medical Center. He died there. 
 
 "Residents are urged to use caution when shoveling heavy snow and neighbors are encouraged to check on their neighbors during this historical storm," said a police statement. 
 
 In Kane and Lake counties, authorities found it so difficult to keep up with the number of stranded drivers, they shut down all main roads and begged people to stop trying to drive. 
 
 People were getting stuck and requiring rescue all night, but some people are still trying to drive on impassable roads this morning, Lake County Sheriff’s Sgt. Curt Gregory said. 
 
 "You’re not going to stop that," he said. "For the most part we’ve got the majority of it cleaned up. 
 
 "Now it’s just sporadic. When people leave home and think they can get through in a Honda Civic, we’ve got to go rescue them." 
 
 By 3:30 p.m., mayor Lake County roads had reopened but officials were asking people to postpone all unnecessary travel until after 5 p.m. Wednesday. 
 
 Kane County officials used snowmobiles to reach people stranded along a stretch of road near Hampshire, while Will County officials said they were having problems reaching stuck motorists. 
 
 Around 5:30 a.m., Illinois State Police closed lllinois Highway 53 from U.S. Interstate 90 to Lake-Cook Road. There were cars stranded in the road and crews were making rescues, according to a statement. 
 
 State police said all other Chicago area expressways were "impassable" and that ramps had three- to four-foot-high drifts. ||||| More at Zennie62.com | Follow me on Twitter! | Get my widget! | Visit YouTube | Visit Facebook.com Chicago, this blogger's hometown, is in a snow-blizzard mess, and so much so that "Lake Shore Drive" is a... 
 
 Lake Shore Drive In Chicago Closed, Lake Michigan With 24-Foot Swells 
 
 Lake Shore Drive In Chicago Closed, Lake Michigan With 24-Foot Swells 
 
 Chicago, this blogger's hometown, is in a snow-blizzard mess, and so much so that "Lake Shore Drive" is a Twitter Trending Topic for the first time. 
 
 According to tweets, people have been told to abandon their cars and walk to safety because of the unusually high waves. Lake Shore Drive is closed, as is Sheridan Blvd in Evanston next to Northwestern University. 
 
 Several photos on Twitpic (like this one by @callmerashad) show a surreal scene of darkness, haze, snow, and cars illuminated by street lights and headlights, and snow - a lot of snow. 
 
 All thanks to a giant winter storm system that's literally attacking an area from Chicago to Dallas, where in suburban Arlington, Texas, Super Bowl XVL will be played this Sunday. Already, Super Bowl events are harder to get to in an already spread-out Super Bowl plan, because of the snow and ice. 
 
 But that's nothing compared to Chicago. 
 
 Mayor Richard J. Daley said the storm is "of historic magnitude, the likes of which we have not seen in decades." 
 
 Or, since January 26, 1967, when Chicago was buried under up two 23 inches of snow in two days. 
 
 I should know. I was six years old and in Chicago ..for more, including videos click here. 
 
 Posted By: Zennie62 (Email) |
– One-third of the country is covered in snow, but the storm hammering Chicago is especially intense. What they’re dealing with, courtesy of the Tribune, Sun-Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle: Hundreds of motorists and bus riders were stranded last night and early this morning on Lake Shore Drive due to snow, ice, and whiteout conditions; while many were rescued after five hours or so, some reported being trapped for as many as nine hours. The Drive was completely closed around 7:50pm, as officials tried to clear abandoned vehicles from the paths of plows, buses, and salt trucks. Though official reports claim drivers were urged to stay in their cars, “Lake Shore Drive” quickly became a trending topic on Twitter as users tweeted that people were being told to leave their cars in order to avoid danger from Lake Michigan’s 24-foot swells. As officials worked to reopen Lake Shore Drive, I-80 was also expected to be closed. That and other interstates, highways, and roads were reported to be “impassable.” Among the buildings damaged by the blizzard: Wrigley Field, where a portion of the roof blew off. Nearly 20,000 power outages were reported in Chicago and the surrounding area last night, and ComEd was working through the night to brace for more downed power lines. Train riders also found themselves stuck when frozen switches halted Red Line trains in both directions as well as some Yellow Line trains, and had to scramble for alternate transportation. Click for more on this crazy weather.