Jena - I'm not sure I'd travel today if you can avoid it. I would guess that it will be a really long trek, with a ton of cancellations. I know that O'Hare, which is the hub for 2 major airlines (I think American and United - but not sure on that), has already canceled 1300 flights for today, and they're estimating they are not going to get moving until this afternoon (which I think may be wishful thinking if the winds keep up).
All I can say is it has been an interesting 12 hours or so, LOL. We were apparently here for the blizzard in '99 - I blissfully don't remember it. I don't think I'll forget this one!! Thus far we've kept power (knock wood). husband got generator ready and got extra gas yesterday morning, just in case. We had thundersnow last night, which was really pretty cool. It's impossible to tell how much snow we actually got because of the drifts. My house faces east and we have about a 10" pile of snow in front of the front door. The back door??? I'm guessing at least a 3-foot drift all over our back porch - . I jokingly told husband yesterday we were going to have to toss the dog out back this morning - actually, I'm afraid she'd just disappear!! I think they said Midway got 16" so far - it's still coming down.
Our county just closed all roads. Closed all roads? I've never been anywhere where that's happened. husband works at a refinery and they announced before he left early yesterday that nonessential personnel were to stay home today. That hasn't happened in the 13 years we've been here. Kids obviously are not in school - only our village's public schools I think 4th or 5th snow day in 13 years. In one county, local TV station was trying to travel to get pictures - they were stopped and told in that county if they were on the road., they had to have a police escort.
Some people got stuck on Lake Shore Drive after it sounds like a bus slid, and they spent the *entire* night out there. They had pics of Chicago Fire Dept on snowmobiles finally pulling folks out of their cars early this a.m.
I hope all you guys are safe and warm. It's certainly been an interesting storm!
The good news? Not a chance a groundhog in IL will see it's shadow, so that must mean winter is over, LOL!!