CPS back in session Tuesday as snow cleanup continues

The first blizzard of the season buried Chicago under more than a foot-and-a-half of snow and prompted a flurry of cancellations Monday — among them classes at Chicago Public Schools.

19.3 inches of snow had fallen in Chicago, making it the city’s fifth largest snowstorm ever, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Gino Izzi.

Motorists can expect a “relatively normal” drive home Monday afternoon as the city continues to dig out from the first blizzard of the season. But more than a foot-and-a-half of snow prompted a flurry of flight cancellations Monday, including more than 1,100 flights at Chicago’s two airports.

In spite of the snow, commuters heading home this evening should see a “relatively normal” commute, Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman Guy Tridgell said. IDOT’s full fleet of trucks are clearing roadways, and traffic volumes are very light, likely because many people chose to stay home, Tridgell said.

More snow is forecast for Tuesday, but only a little, and not until later in the afternoon. So after a one-day break, Chicago Public Schools will be back in session Tuesday, city officials said at a news conference on Monday.

Also at that news conference, Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Charles Williams said he expects to use 75,000 tons of salt on main and side streets. There’s plenty in reserve, he said, because the city has had to use little up to this point.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel praised the city’s efforts, saying workers were putting in 14- and 16-hour days and that “none of us are gonna rest” until everybody in Chicago can get to work and their streets are clear.

But his mayoral rivals had a different view, with Ald. Bob Fioretti (2nd) putting out a press release saying the city was ill-prepared and calling the handling of side streets “horrific.”

Another candidate, Willie Wilson, said South Side streets were neglected in favor of downtown, calling it another example of Emanuel helping his rich friends.

The Cook County Jail also dealt with weather issues, as a staffing shortage caused by the blizzard resulted in Sheriff Tom Dart putting the entire facility on lockdown, which means visitation and inmate movement are limited, except for court and medical reasons. Dart on Monday morning issued a news release saying about a third of his staff had failed to report to work in the past 24 hours. From Sunday night through Monday morning, about 110 staffers worked mandatory overtime to help deal with the situation, according to Dart’s office.

As the snow finally stopped falling, the clearing, brightening skies revealed the true mess: Cars caked in snow, thigh-deep drifts and, of course, a maddening commute.

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