Every Picture Tells a Story 2/5/15

Dawn of the Dibs

Ever since Snowmageddon 2015 hit this past Sunday, dibs--the dubious Chicago "tradition" of saving dug-out parking spots with whatever random shit happened to be lying about--have been popping up all over the city.

Here are a few examples from around my neighborhood.

On the Way to Work This Morning 2/3/15

In Chicago, snowstorms and politics intertwine, especially just a few weeks ahead of an election.

It's been that way at least since 1979, when a blizzard slammed the city and the city, in response, did a truly terrible job of clearing the main streets. And the side streets? Unless you had cross-country skis or a snowmobile, you weren't going anywhere.

Three weeks later, Chicago held its primary for mayor. In what was then a substantial shock, the incumbent, Michael Bilandic--a former alderman who'd been selected by the city council to fill out the remainder of the term of Richard J. Daley, who died of a heart attack just before Christmas in 1976--was handily defeated by Jane Byrne, a relative newcomer who used the city's incompetent response to the blizzard against Bilandic. (Her campaign commercial, shot outdoors while a light flurry fell in the background, was wonderfully subtle--and effective.)

The city's response this time around was better: The mains stayed relatively clear throughout the storm, which finally wound down in the wee hours of Monday morning. Side streets, however, remained a mess--and, in some cases, impassible--well into Monday evening.

Will some voters blame the current mayor, Rahm Emanuel, for this? Sure will. Then again, he's not all that popular in Chicago for a host of other reasons, most especially for the closure of 50 public schools, most located on the south and west sides (which, by coincidence, are predominantly African-Ameican) and for his outright hostility to unions, some of which endorsed him for re-election (go figure).

But on a purely physical level, the storm has an effect on the primary, if only because candidate signage (such as the sign pictured above for 33rd Ward aldermanic candidate Tim Meegan) has been covered in several feet of snow.

Every Picture Tells a Story 2/3/15

Snowmageddon 2015

Four years ago today, Chicago had one of its heaviest snowfalls on record: 20 inches.

Yesterday, Mother Nature tried to top that--and damn near succeeded.

The official tally, taken at O'Hare Airport, was 19.3 inches, good enough for fifth place on the all-time list. Other locations around the area had in excess of 20 inches.

Here are a few random shots taken during the storm.