Snow cancels flights, snarls traffic in Chicago (AP)

CHICAGO – Chicago officials worked Friday to prevent a repeat of last year's "snowmageddon," when a blizzard left hundreds of drivers stranded along one of the city's main thoroughfares for up to 12 hours overnight.

With the city getting socked by its first major snowstorm of the winter and drifts forming, officials detoured buses off icy Lake Shore Drive, the iconic road running along Lake Michigan. Bus service was partially restored by the end of rush hour except for the southern portion of the road.

Last year's storm, which dumped more than 20 inches of snow, brought Chicago to a standstill and caused serious embarrassment to a city known for its ability to keep working in some of the most severe winter weather. Transit spokesman Brian Steele said icy ramps and drifting snow led to the decision to move buses away from the lakefront Friday and onto roads where there was less wind and slower traffic.

No significant problems had developed yet, he said, adding, "The decision was made solely as a precaution."

More than 700 flights were cancelled at Chicago's airports, the bulk of them at O'Hare International Airport, the Chicago Department of Aviation said.

While the snow started in the morning, the worst of the storm hit just at rush hour. Eight inches of snow were expected by nightfall, and the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning lasting until late Friday.

Chicago deployed its full fleet of 278 plows to push through the snow on main streets and Lake Shore Drive, but they had to inch along with commuters headed home in heavy traffic.

"The biggest challenge for us right now is congestion. We're caught in it just like everyone else," said Guy Tridgell, a spokesman with the Illinois Department of Transportation.

During last year's February blizzard, the city's third-worst storm on record, authorities had to remove 525 vehicles that got stuck on Lake Shore Drive, which was closed for 33 hours. City officials began work in November to create two turnaround points on the road to make it easier for cars to avoid getting stuck.

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Factbox: Chicago Weather Throughout 2011 (ContributorNetwork)

According to the Chicago Tribune, October was an extremely dry month for Illinois, with precipitation across the state more than an inch below average for the month. Colchester, a small town near Macomb, experienced the driest October with only 0.22 inches of precipitation. Most of western Illinois saw less than an inch of rain for the entire month.

Here are some facts about the extreme weather the Chicago area has experienced this year:

* Late January and early February saw a major blizzard and frigid temperatures, according to Chicago Breaking News.

* The Washington Post reported the blizzard was so intense that it was Chicago's third-biggest snowstorm on record, putting it at the top with the blizzards of 1999 and 1967.

* The Windy City saw up to 20.2 inches of snow and snow drifts up to 12 feet.

* CNN reported that the National Weather Service issued a special advisory warning residents to stay indoors after the snow storm created a "potentially life threatening situation."

* Following the mass amounts of snow, temperatures dropped to 11-15 degrees below zero, with wind chills between 25 to 35 below zero.

*Mid-February also saw spring-like temperatures nearly close to 60 degrees, reported Yahoo! News.

* Chicago braved yet another snow storm in late February, a record-breaker with it being the snowiest February on record with a total of 28.7 inches, reported the Chicago Sun-Times.

* According to the Huffington Post, the spring months brought more extreme weather, including the threat of hail and tornadoes in April.

* Sweltering temperatures plagued July, as noted by another Huffington Post article. In some places the heat index reached 111 degrees.

* By the beginning of late-July, the high temperatures and humidity had already claimed the lives of six people, a majority elderly residents, reported Yahoo! News.

* The heat wave was compared to 1995 Chicago heat wave which led to more than 700 heat-related deaths.

* Heavy and record-breaking rainstorms pushed through Chicago in late July, according to the Chicago Tribune, resulting in dangerous flash foods, extensive damage to homes and property, and over 150,000 residences experiencing power outages.

* Rainfall recorded at O'Hare Airport totaled 6.91 inches of rain by 6:50 a.m. on July 23, the largest single-day rainfall since records began in the state in 1871.

* In September, the Chicago Tribune noted that the National Weather Service announced that the summer of 2011 would go down in the books as one of the wettest and hottest summers for the Chicago area.

Rachel Bogart provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. As a college student from the Chicago suburbs pursuing two science degrees, she applies her knowledge and passion to both topics to garner further public awareness.

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Accuweather forecasts extreme cold winter for Chicago (Reuters)

(Reuters) – Private forecaster Accuweather.com said on Wednesday that heavy snow and extreme cold should be expected in the north central United States, especially in the Chicago area, in the coming winter.

The East Coast faces average to slightly above average snowfall during the winter of 2011-2012 as a Pacific La Nina again drives weather patterns across the United States.

"People in Chicago are going to want to move after this winter," Accuweather Long-Range Meteorologist Josh Nagelberg said in a statement.

Accuweather's forecast projects Chicago will again be hit by extreme cold weather and several blizzards, as it endured last winter when more than 50 inches fell on the city including a single storm that dropped 20 inches.

Severe cold and heavy snow should expected from the Great Lakes across the Midwest and northern plains states, according to Accuweather.

La Nina, the name for a recurring phenomenon when sea surface temperatures across the central and eastern Pacific Ocean are below normal, will fuel weather across North America, including a persistent flow of tropical moisture that brings heavy rains to the West Coast called the "Pineapple Express."

The southeastern United States could again see flooding in the lower Mississippi Valley in late winter, Accuweather said.

Dry, mild weather is expected over most of the southwestern United States, with no relief seen for drought-stricken Texas.

The Mid-Atlantic states could see snow and ice with South Carolina and Georgia seeing rain. Florida should expect a mild, dry winter.

(Reporting by Erwin Seba in Houston; Editing by Gary Hill)

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