A major weekend snowstorm threatened to deflate Chicagoans' Super Bowl plans.
Snow started falling late Saturday evening, and up to 14 inches of snow and wind gusts as high as 40 mph are expected in some parts of the Chicago metropolitan area through Monday morning as the region remains under a winter storm warning, according to weather service meteorologist Amy Seeley.
Residents near O'Hare International Airport could wake up to 7 inches of snow by 6 a.m. Sunday and see about 10 inches by noon, Seeley said.
Decreased visibility and snow-covered roads mean Super Bowl partygoers may want to think twice before hitting the roadways for the 5:30 p.m. kickoff.
Illinois State Police officials covering Will, Grundy, and Kendall counties issued a recommendation late Saturday against travel through Sunday evening, warning that "treacherous weather and road conditions are expected to pose a significant threat to motorists."
Like January, February is expected to start with below-average low temperatures, with highs in the teens through much of the week, weather service meteorologist Ricky Castro said. Any snow on the ground will help keep it especially cold, he said.
By Jan. 31, 2014, the city had endured 48.6 inches of snow. So far this season, 15.5 inches have been recorded.
Going into February 2013, Chicagoans had seen only 3.5 inches of snow, Castro recalled. Then in February and March of that year, about 27 inches of snow fell.
"We have a lot of winter left," Castro said.
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