The snow piles on the street outside of her house were taller than my little car. In fact, it was impossible to see the house.
Now, Chicago is getting slammed again.
Chicago's Snowiest Winter Since 1979 Depletes Budget
By Joe Carroll
March 6 (Bloomberg) -- Chicago's snowiest winter in three decades is taking a toll on Paul Matushek. He managed 15 downtown bicycle messengers in November, and now only five are willing to pedal through ice and drifts.
Matushek, a dispatcher for Don't Shoot the Messenger, isn't alone in coping with the 52.1 inches (132 centimeters) of snow dumped on Chicago from Dec. 1 to Feb. 29. Road salt is depleted, ice-clogged rivers stall barges with new loads, and the city has exhausted its snow-removal budget with weeks of winter to go.
Chicago hasn't been hit this hard since the record snows of 1978-79, when voters angry at the government's failure to clear streets booted Mayor Michael Bilandic out of office. Richard M. Daley, serving his 19th year as mayor and not facing re-election until 2011, isn't taking chances. He's spent $20 million dealing with the snow, $2 million over budget.
It's a good time to not have a car in Chicago, and to need to be indoors most of the time. Plus, maybe the water level in the Great Lakes will start to rise a little. Wash out some of the PCB's. Silver linings all over the place.
Comments
Madison, WI is also breaking the 1978-79 winter record snowfall. Though we are only a little farther north than Chicago we have over 91 inches and are likely to get 100 inches for the season. I am originally from northeastern Wisconsin, a few hundred miles north of Madison, and they have had only 79 inches of snow.
Luckily we have had a few 40 degree days to lower the snow piles enough to throw the next snowfall on top. The piles on either side of my driveway are over six feet high.
Posted by: Dlanod | March 7, 2008 10:21 AM
I think I remember that car. Was it red?
Posted by: stumpy | March 8, 2008 6:44 PM
I'm sure the prodigious snowfall is not helped by the shortage of road salt.
Posted by: Mustafa Mond, FCD | March 11, 2008 11:39 AM