Snowstorm 2011

Otherwise known as "a storm of epic proportions" and a "thundersnow."

My street

This storm brought with it the usual school closings, power outages, and loss of cable and internet. Some of the more interesting characteristics is that we have -so far- reached number 3 on the Chicago's Biggest Snowstorm list with 20inches. We still have about 1 hour of heavy snowfall left.

Snow drifts cover the Church steps

The best part has been that I've experienced my first thundersnow! It was amazing. At first I thought it was the L or a truck rumbling, but it was a thundersnow! About an hour later lightening was added.

Lakeshore drive suddenly became overwhelmed with snow, and two accidents which brought full traffic to a complete standstill. It took up to 7 hours for security to evacuate everyone out of the cars on mopeds. The footage looks like that -was it a Steven King movie - where most everyone died and a few people were walking around and all the cars were just sitting there in the streets. This happened at about 4:30. It started snowing at 2:00. That's how fast the snow came down. Everyone started scrambling home once it hit. I was walking home at 3:00 being pelted in the eyes by 50mile an hour snow pellets and occasionally being blown off course. Take a look at this car outside my apartment.


Last night I heard the sound of a stuck car trying to move through the snow. I had to get up and peek. I figured someone was trying to pull out of a parking spot that had been plowed in. Nope, this idiot was just trying to drive down my unplowed side street. He was stuck, rocking back and forth, in the middle of the road. (Not the car in the photo, that's parked.)

Another fun snow fact is that the snow drifts have actually reached up to 7feet! I ventured outside a little bit ago. I had to see it, and preferably before later tonight when it may reach as low as 30below with the windchill. Now we are comfortably in the teens. Although there was still pelting going on and I'm no fan of being pelted in the face whether its snow, rain, or dirt kicked up by the wind, so it was a short venture. I started by venturing out the back door.


My two bottom steps were covered. When I stepped off onto the sidewalk, I sunk all the way down to my thigh! My knee high boots fell a little short of the job.

You can't even see my boot down there.

I hiked through my building ally out to the street ally.

This is the street ally. You can see that the snow comes halfway up some garages.


I walked up against the apartment buildings on the side of another huge drift, just short of my waist to the main road that had been plowed. I snapped some shots, took some videos, and reached my limit for adventure and headed back. I went in the front door this time, choosing to pass on wading through another snow drift.

This is what was once my sidewalk.

Some people have been seen out on skis, gliding down the plowed streets. About 60,000 people are without power, and many without cable or internet (like my brother and sister-in-law who are working from Starbucks.). Luckily I am sitting in my well heated apartment, lights on, television informing, and typing away on my blog, and enjoying the day off :)

Oh, yeah, visibility. At one point this morning, visibility at Midway airport was .o6 miles or one sixteenth of a mile. That's what we call a white-out!

Another interesting snow issue we've encountered is that there is too much snow to plow out of the way, aside from it just blowing back onto the roads and still falling, they may have to bring in melters to melt it down to make more room. Who knew they had melters for situations like this?

Reports coming in from the western suburbs say that the sky has cleared to a point where the sun can be seen. Repeat, the sun has been spotted in the suburbs. This storm has an end. It appears we will hold the #3 spot for Chicago's Biggest Snowstorms.

Ahh, the memories