Traffic Alert

Well, we were warned:

The blizzard warning for Tuesday and Wednesday forecasts up to 20 inches of snow. Wind gusts of up to 60 mph will create whiteout conditions, making travel nearly impossible, possibly flooding stretches of the lakefront and knocking down power lines.

The snow is expected to hit between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. today, falling at 1 to 2 inches per hour. The worst is expected to come between 9 p.m. today and 5 a.m. Wednesday with a snowfall rate of 3 to 4 inches per hour, Santiago said. Lake effect snow could add an additional 6 inches.

Winds are expected to reach 50 mph inland and 60 mph near the lake, where authorities have issued a lake shore flood watch from noon today until Wednesday afternoon.

Waves at the shoreline are expected to reach up to 25 feet, Santiago said.

The Chicago OEMC was to open its emergency control center at noon. The multi-agency center will be located on the third floor of OEMC's office building on Madison. From there, authorities will monitor conditions around the city through street cameras, Santiago said.

Santiago reminded drivers they must yield to emergency vehicles and should not drive unless absolutely necessary.

I'm certain that every moron who never drives in good weather has his keys clutched in his fist and intends to head out the door at 9:00 p.m. on the dot, as a result. *Sigh*

Stay in and stay safe, will ya? (And if you're stuck here in Chicago from out of town, you might be able to use this bit of good news right about now.)
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Update:

Zorn posted this table of Chicago's ten biggest snow storms of all time:

1. 23.0 inches Jan 26-27, 1967
2. 21.6 inches Jan 1-3, 1999 (I spent this one camped out at a friend's house because I couldn't get home)
3. 19.2 inches Mar 25-26, 1930
4. 18.8 inches Jan 13-14, 1979 (I was the last car through as roads were closed all the down to Macomb, IL, on my way back to school after Christmas break)
5. 16.2 inches Mar 7-8, 1931
6. 15.0 inches Dec 17-20, 1929
7. 14.9 inches Jan 30, 1939
8. 14.9 inches Jan 6-7, 1918
9. 14.3 inches Mar 25-26, 1970 (Snow days in junior high!)
10. 14.0 inches Jan 18-20, 1886

I'm camping out again tonight, rather than go out in all that mess. It's another adventure for the books...
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What?

Somebody's got to have a sense of humor about this...
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Update: Thunder snow!
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Update 2: Lightning, too!