The sirens Evanston residents will hear over the next two days will not signal canceled Northwestern classes but rather their last chance to move cars.
City officials declared a snow emergency Tuesday night as residents experience what one official called “the biggest snow storm since the Blizzard of 2011.”
As of 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, the city measured 3 inches of snow at its service center. The city expected moderate snow to begin around 7 or 8 p.m., lightening up to snow showers around 10 p.m., James Maiworm, the city’s superintendent of streets and sanitation.
The National Weather Service, which put Cook County and others under a winter storm warning until midnight Tuesday, forecasted 7 to 10 inches of snow from the storm.
Under the snow emergency, parking is not allowed on the even-numbered sides of designated streets from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today. Parking is not allowed on the odd-numbered sides of streets during those times Thursday, according to a city release.
These restrictions only apply to streets with parking on both sides that are not already designated snow routes.
The city first issued a snow route parking ban Tuesday afternoon. Beginning at 11 p.m. Tuesday through 6 a.m. today, parking was illegal on major streets such as Central Street and Sheridan Road.
Sirens sounded around 8:15 p.m. Tuesday for the parking ban and will sound at 7:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. today and Thursday for the snow emergencies.
Parking bans, such as those issued Tuesday, allow the city to clear snow. While city crews cleared the streets throughout Tuesday, several city and school district agencies canceled meetings and events due to the weather.
Evanston/Skokie District 65 canceled its Tuesday night school board meeting, and the city’s zoning board of appeals meeting was also canceled. All D65 after-school activities, except childcare, were canceled, and the Evanston Township High School campus closed at 4 p.m.
On NU’s campus, student groups canceled planned events to keep members from having to trudge through the snow. SafeRide service also did not operate Tuesday night.
— Manuel Rapada
