1. Snow, Temps Leave Illinois in a State of Disaster
After winter storm “Hercules” dumped over a foot of snow on Illinois and wind-chill temperatures reached as low as 50-below zero Monday, Gov. Pat Quinn has declared Illinois to be in a state of disaster and has activated the Illinois National Guard. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel—tanned from a family vacation to Indonesia—was asked where he had been during the storm just two questions into his press conference.
2. One of the Coldest Days in Chicago’s History?
CBS Chicago reported that the temperature of 16-below zero recorded at O’Hare is a record low for Jan. 6 in Chicago, but that today is not among the 15 coldest days in the city’s history. Chicago’s most frigid day came Jan. 20, 1985, when the temperature dropped to 27-below zero.
3. CTA Struggles
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, four people were injured this morning in a CTA bus crash in Beverly, and 14 Metra riders were hurt as a commuter train hit a “bumping post,” according to Crain’s. Several media outlets reported that every El line except the Pink Line experienced delays this morning, and the CTA Twitter feed was still reporting delays on multiple lines throughout the afternoon.
4. #ChiBeria
As the temperature dropped, some Chicagoans took it upon themselves to test the elements. On Jan. 5, a substitute teacher sent a picture to CNN of a T-shirt he washed that froze stiff in just five minutes in the elements. Mick Swasko with RedEye spent the day doing a series of alcohol-related experiments. It wasn’t a surprise that the glass bottle of Bud Light exploded, but how about ice forming in the shot of vodka?
Originally posted 01/06/13
By Jakub Rudnik
Jakub Rudnik 