Snowstorm and blizzard-like conditions will affect travel in and out of Chicagoland ahead of Christmas, officials warn

With the threat of a major winter storm hanging over Chicago ahead of the Christmas holiday weekend, government officials warned residents to hunker down and stay safe as airlines and rail services announced cancellations and schedule modifications to their services, adding to the stress of the estimated 113 million people who were expected to travel in the U.S. for the long holiday weekend.

“First and foremost, if you don’t have to travel during this storm, please don’t,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said at a Wednesday news conference. “I recognize that many people have last-minute shopping to do in advance of the holiday weekend, but the easiest way to avoid the dangers of a storm is to stay home if you possibly can.” She urged people to work from home in the coming days, if possible.

While Chicago was expected to wake up to a balmy 30 degrees Thursday, forecasters warned that an arctic cold front is expected to sweep through around 1 p.m., bringing a temperature drop of 15 to 20 degrees in about two hours, said Mark Ratzer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service of Chicago.

Snow is expected to start falling around 11 a.m., and increase as the day goes on. Wind chills will reach around 25 to 30 degrees below zero across the entire Chicago area by late Thursday night into Friday morning. Winds of up to 45 and 50 mph will blow the fine, fluffy snow, thus reducing visibility considerably, creating near-whiteout conditions at times.

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Snowfall is initially likely to melt on roads into water and then freeze into ice as temperatures drop, creating dangerous conditions for driving, particularly late Thursday, weather experts said. Mobilization of plows will begin Thursday, said Cook County transportation Superintendent Sis Killen.

But, she said, even after the snow is cleared, sections of roadway could be covered quickly again thanks to blowing snow.

“Our crews are going to be working diligently to monitor conditions and keep the roadways as clear as possible,” she said, asking drivers not to crowd or attempt to pass them. “Our dedicated drivers will be working around the clock … until (county-maintained) roads are completely clear.”

County and city officials encouraged people to fill prescriptions and gas tanks, and prepare emergency kits for their cars. Drivers should have at least a half a tank of gas, a shovel, a windshield scraper, a small broom, road salt, a tow chain, jumper cables, emergency flares, a flashlight, hats, gloves, blankets, a first aid kit and necessary medications, they said.

Meanwhile, as of Wednesday evening, 341 flights scheduled for Thursday at O’Hare International Airport had been canceled, according to the website FlightAware. Southwest Airlines had canceled 150 Thursday flights at Midway Airport, with the airline saying that it had reduced operations at some airports — primarily Midway and Denver — as the storm approached.

Across the airline’s entire network, it had canceled about 500 of nearly 4,000 flights scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

“The safety of employees and customers is Southwest’s top priority and proactive schedule adjustments aim to ensure safe operations, protect the integrity of the entire Southwest network, and limit subjecting our people to dangerous working conditions,” Southwest executives said a statement posted to the carrier’s website.

Ground transportation services will also experience modifications and cancellations as the weekend begins. Metra said it would reduce service on most lines Friday in anticipation of the potential blizzard, and because fewer commuters were expected to head into offices as Christmas approached.

Most lines will operate on a modified Saturday schedule on Dec. 23. The SouthWest Service and Heritage Corridor don’t normally operate on weekends, and they will run weekday schedules. The North Central Service will operate a modified weekday schedule. Detailed schedules for each line are available at metra.com.

The commuter rail service was planning to run typical service Thursday.

Metra urged riders and drivers to allow extra travel time, and to use extra caution near rail tracks because of expected low visibility and slippery conditions.

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Some Amtrak trains in and out of Chicago will operate through Sunday with modified schedules, and some services will be suspended.

“These actions are taken with abundant caution and in consultation with state transportation departments, host railroads, emergency managers, and weather forecasters,” according to a service alert posted to the Amtrak website at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Hiawatha trains 329, 332, 333, 336, 337, 340 and 343 between Chicago and Milwaukee have been canceled Thursday through Sunday. Wolverine trains 352 and 353 to Detroit and Pontiac, Michigan, will also be canceled between Thursday and Sunday. But other round-trips on these routes will continue to operate.

No substitute transportation will be available on certain routes of the Amtrak National Network Services. For instance, Empire Builder trains 7/27 and 8/28 originating in Chicago, Seattle and Portland, Oregon, were canceled Wednesday through Friday.

“All of these are precautionary, all of these are because of the forecast of severe weather,” Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari told the Tribune.

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Possible shifts in the storm’s path left meteorologists uncertain about just how much snow Chicago would see ahead of the holiday weekend. But the city is now expecting anywhere from 2 to 5 inches of snow, down from the 4 to 6 inches that were predicted earlier.

Kevin Doom, a meteorologist with National Weather Service of Chicago, said that while Chicago-area residents can expect less snow than previously warned, officials’ worries surrounding cold winds, low visibility and icy roads remain the same.

“So that’s our biggest concern, especially with it being Thursday and Friday before Christmas on Sunday — it’s going to be the busiest travel days of the year,” Doom said. “So it’s going to be very hazardous for travel. And we really just don’t want people to get fooled by the lower snow totals that we’re now expecting.”

With cold and dangerous conditions on the horizon, residents on Wednesday hurried to get their holiday grocery shopping done early, before the icy roads and freezing temperatures were set to make doing so unpleasant, if not impossible.

“It’s unfortunately the perfect ‘storm,’” said Swetal Patel, managing partner at the Patel Brothers grocery chain, which has three locations in the suburbs and one in the city. Grocery store traffic in the area has been up at least 30% over regular holiday-week levels since Tuesday, Patel said.

Rich Guidice, executive director of the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, called on Chicagoans to take care of themselves and each other as the harsh weather rolls into the city.

“We encourage you to check on your neighbors, family members, pets and friends, particularly those who are elderly or have disabilities,” he said. “Staying connected is key to being safe.”

In anticipation of the expected single-digit temperatures, Preckwinkle said many suburban municipalities will be opening warming centers.

“If you do not have adequate heat in your home, we ask you to seek one of these shelters,” Preckwinkle said. County officials said those centers are also available for those who might lose power in the storm.

The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services opens six warming centers across the city when temperatures reach 32 degrees or below, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Garfield Community Service Center at 10 S. Kedzie Ave. is open 24 hours to connect families and residents to emergency shelter. City residents may also call 311 to be connected to available services.

At home, officials urged people to “refrain from using” stovetops or ovens as a heating source. Without proper ventilation, they could lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Symptoms include a bad headache and nausea. If you experience those symptoms, officials said to leave the home and seek medical attention.