Chicago Weather: Snow falls across area, totaling more than 5 inches of accumulation in places

Friday, February 7, 2020
Chicago Weather: Snow falls across area, totaling more than 5 inches of accumulation in places
A snowstorm dumped snow across the area Thursday, with some places in the south suburbs getting more than five inches of accumulation.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A snowstorm dumped snow across the area Thursday, with some places in the south suburbs getting more than five inches of accumulation.

The fluffy white stuff covering yards, driveways, streets and several inches fell in the south suburbs late Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

By 11 a.m., 5.6 inches of snow fell in Homewood, 5.2 inches of snow fell in Lansing, Park Forest got 4.5 inches of snow and Morris got 3 inches of snow. In the city, O'Hare received 1.3 inches of snow and Midway received 1.9 inches of snow.

RELATED: Residents who don't shovel could be fined up to $500

Alderman Ray Lopez and Chicago Streets and Sanitation workers are cracking down on property owners who don't shovel.

Flurries will remain in the afternoon with the potential for lake-effect snow in the evening Thursday and some places could get an additional inch of snow.

School Closings: Chicago Area Complete List

The snow made for a messy morning commute.

"A little slippery, just a little slippery, not really slushy, but slippery, really slippery," said truck driver Walter Oliver.

ABC7 Storm Tracker checked out conditions on the outbound Dan Ryan Expressway, with some slick conditions. Storm Tracker then checked out side streets in south suburban Oak Lawn and Markham, with a layer of snow on many streets.

Robinson Tabb got a head start to clean his driveway only to find out his snowblower stopped working. Thankfully, the snow is light and fluffy.

"It's not heavy," Tabb said. "This is broke, I can't use this. I tried to use it, but I had to shovel by hand."

Click here for the full seven-day forecast from our ABC7 Weather team

Salt trucks got out early and for the most part, the salt laid down is working. But, still, the morning commute was a little slower than normal with several spin-outs and crashes

The Illinois Department of Transportation tweeted to remind motorists to give snow plows room on the roads.

RELATED: Where's the ice on Lake Michigan?

A warmer winter has led to much less ice cover thus far on Lake Michigan.

IDOT is reminding drivers that snow plows drive slowly, stop often, overlap lanes, and make wide turns. They also have a restricted field of vision, create snow clouds that could reduce visibility to zero and conceal hazards, and spread de-icer that could hit your vehicle. It's important to give snow plows room and drive behind them if at all possible. If you must pass, you should pass with caution.