The din of snowblowers and shovels scraping pavement filled the air Friday as people tackled several inches of snow before the second wave of the winter storm sweeps across the Chicago area.
The heavy, wet snow began falling overnight and piled up throughout the morning. Then the snow gave way to sleet.
“This is heart attack snow,” said Ken Fronczak, 65, who was shoveling at a building he owns at 29th and Throop streets in Bridgeport.
The key is to push the snow, not lift it, he said. “But it could be a lot worse.”
The area could see another 3 to 5 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service’s latest winter storm warning. The rainy mix will likely change back to snow in the evening when temperatures drop, according to the warning, in effect until noon Saturday.
Other residents dismissed the gloomy forecast and first wave of snowfall Friday morning, pointing to past storms that dropped much more.
“This ain’t no snow,” said Roger Sansone, 64, walking his dog on Emerald Avenue in Bridgeport.
He motioned to his waist, indicating the level of snow the lifelong South Sider had seen in prior snowstorms.
His dog, Crash, was bundled in a sweater and coat. He’s usually fussy about walking in the rain. “But the snow he don’t care about,” Sansone said.
In the Lake View neighborhood, slushy, dark snow lined the streets where snowplows had cleared the road, with some residential roads slick with a layer of ice. Cars sat along the road, a coating of snow covering their windshields.
Those brave enough to go outside were wearing thick winter coats, beanies, scarves and gloves as they walked their dogs or made their way to the L.
For a Chicago winter, it’s been “warm and dry,” said Blake Wilcox, 52, as he started shoveling the sidewalk in front of his condo on Bradley Place.
Holding a wide, gray shovel, Wilcox said what he’s really worried about are the two days of below-zero temperatures forecast next week.
“I may cook a lot so the oven keeps the apartment warm,” Wilcox said.
Colin Weninger, 32, described conditions as “slushy” and “slurry” as he shoveled at the corner of Waveland Avenue and Fremont Street in front of his apartment.
“This is a completely mild winter,” said Weninger, a Chicago native.
Having shoveled for 40 minutes, he said he probably had 30 minutes left.
“It’s just mostly water,” he said, scooping a mix of snow and slush off the sidewalk. “I don’t even know if it’s worth salting.”
Down the street, Aubrey Ways, 29, walked her two dogs. Luna, a brown lab mix, jumped around in the snow as Maggie, a small yorkie wearing a red puffer jacket, shook in the cold.
“The small dog absolutely hates it,” she said.
Next week, Ways said, the inside of her apartment is likely all she’ll see.
“I’m staying inside, that’s how I’m prepping,” she said.
In southwest suburban Palos Hills, heavy snow tapered off and turned to freezing rain Friday morning as residents worked to clear their driveways.
Along Broadmoor Drive, the faint sound of snowblower engines in the distance and shovels scraping concrete brought noise to the usually quiet neighborhood.
Eki Nureduni, 54, spent at least 45 minutes clearing his driveway. Kenny Nureduni, Eki’s son, said his father came out to start shoveling as soon as the snow started dying down.
“We need to at least clear out the driveway so we can move around in emergency cases,” Kenny Nureduni said.
About a block, Nick G. and his dog, Axel, walked through an unshoveled sidewalk on South Alta Drive. Nick G. was covered nearly from head to toe while Axel sported a gray dog coat.
“I didn’t go [outside] to work, but I did have to come outside to walk the dog,” Nick said. “Now I want a cat.”
Luke S., 29, cleared his driveway in about 15 minutes using an electric shovel on 103rd Street and 84th Avenue.
Although some residents weren’t going to work Friday, Luke S. was planning his day around getting to work Friday evening at Sebastian’s Ale and Whiskey House in Lombard.
Maciek Zaiac, 13, said he’d been shoveling snow for at least two hours around his home on South 83rd Avenue and West 103rd Street. But first, he had a snowball fight and wrestled with his 11-year-old brother, Jakub, in the family’s backyard.
Maciek had mixed feelings about being off from school at Conrady Junior High School.
“I get to clean the snow, but it’s a Friday and I like going to school on a Friday since it’s the last day of the week,” he said.
Several three-unit homes lost power for a couple of hours Friday morning near 111th Street and Helena Drive in Palos Hills.
Mike Kitanoski, 65, said he saw downed power lines on the other side of 111th Street near Moraine Valley Community College.
Kitanoski, like many others, plans to wait it out if it happens again. “What are you gonna do?” he said as he shoveled his driveway.
One building owner said they were concerned about power outages and potential plumbing issues as temperatures are expected to plummet.
“You hope the area would be a little more buttoned up,” said the owner, who didn’t want to be named.
As the snow turned to rain late Friday morning, a few children tried to make the best of their snow day by sledding at Palmisano Park in Chicago.
High winds and slush made it a harrowing experience at the hill near the Stevenson Expressway and Halsted Street, where a puddle of mud greeted sledders at the bottom.
“It’s just ice pelting you in the face,” Kathleen Hughes said.
Maria LaGiglio brought her daughter Viviana, who found it easiest to sled down the icy ruts of previous sledders. She’s been waiting for a proper snowstorm and was out sledding Friday as “practice.”
“She was hoping for a snowstorm but didn’t get one,” LaGiglio said.
