The first wave of a fast-moving storm blanketed parts of Naperville in more than a half a foot of snow as of noon Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
As a significant weather system set in across the Chicago area for the second time this week, snow and wind began hitting the Naperville area about 3 a.m., National Weather Service meteorologist Jake Petr said.
Through early morning hours, snow fell at rates sometimes exceeding 2 inches per hour, Petr said, while winds whipped with gusts reaching 45 to 55 mph.
As of midday Friday, Naperville had reports of snow totals around the city reaching 5½ to 6½ inches, Petr said.
To the northwest in Kane County, Elburn received 8 inches of snow, the National Weather Service reported. In Will County, Lockport saw 7.4 inches.
Naperville, as well as portions of north, central and northeast Illinois, remain under a winter storm warning until noon Saturday.
Petr said for Naperville, it’s particularly tricky to estimate snow totals into Friday because forecasts have the city “right on the border” of where rain will turn to snow.
As of 12:15 p.m. Friday, forecasts called for another potential round of accumulating snow with strong winds expected to start about midnight, Petr said. Snow overnight could add 1 to 3 more inches by Saturday morning, he said.
In addition to snow, temperatures are also poised to drop overnight, renewing the potential for dangerous travel as the “wet slushy stuff that’s still on the roads” freezes over, Petr said. Scattered snow showers are predicted through Saturday.
Meanwhile, Sunday and Monday are expected to bring bitter cold. Temperatures could dip down to below 13 degrees Sunday and Monday night, Petr said, with wind chills reaching as low as the below 30 range.
Across Naperville, foot traffic slowed as Friday’s storm prompted schools, city services, facilities and businesses to close.
“Downtown’s pretty deserted,” Becky Anderson, owner of Anderson’s Bookshop on Jefferson Avenue, said Friday afternoon.
Late Thursday night, she decided to close Anderson’s in advance of the storm. For now, the plan is to reopen Saturday but “we’ll probably be playing it by ear for the next few days (to) see what happens,” she said.
Naperville School District 203, Indian Prairie School District 204 and North Central College all closed campuses and switched to e-learning.
The Naperville Park District canceled all programming scheduled for Friday, including a Friday night performance of a park district-run production of “Beauty and the Beast” at Naperville Central High School. The park district also closed all indoor facilities other than the fitness center in Fort Hill Activity Center.
Naperville Public Library facilities also closed for the day, as did all Forest Preserve District of Will County visitor centers.
City-run garbage and recycling collection was postponed until Saturday, while several city facilities — including its Household Hazardous Waste Facility, Electronics Recycling Center and Recycling Drop-Off Center — faced closures into the weekend.
[ Naperville snow/winter weather closures and cancellations ]
At Endeavor Health’s Edward Hospital in Naperville, there was a low volume of patients in its emergency room Friday as people heeded advice to stay home and off the roads, according to hospital spokesman Keith Hartenberger.
Through Friday’s first wave of snow, Naperville police had only responded to one minor traffic crash, department spokesman Cmdr. Rick Krakow said. Police have mostly been responding to motorist assists, Krakow said, such as cars caught stuck in the snow.
For the most part, he said, “We’re doing pretty well so far.”
“Apparently the roads are in pretty good condition,” he said because city crews have been out for hours “working hard to get as much as they can cleared off” before snow picks up again.
Crews will continue to work overnight into Saturday “until the job is done,” city spokeswoman Kate Schultz said.
“We have our full fleet of 22 trucks out and about 30 contract operators” working to clear main thoroughfares, streets and cul-de-sacs, she added.
Schultz said the city’s main concern going into Friday night is black ice — a transparent layer of ice that’s difficult to discern from pavement — on roadways as the weekend cold settles in.
“Why do I mention that?” Schultz said. “It’s important that people continue to slow down if they’re on the road.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.