citySchools, government offices and even some businesses closed earlier than usual on Tuesday afternoon as they buckled down in preparation for a monster snowstorm that one city official described as potentially extraordinary. City plows were out in force as the snowfall intensified.
Early Friday evening, Mayor Ed Schock declared a state of emergency, setting the framework for city officials to do what is needed to combat the storm.
Forecasters say the massive storm system is expected to leave a blanket snow 12 to 24 inches deep stretching from Texas to Maine. Locally, officials expect Elgin will receive 12 inches of snow; forecasters say accumulations will be greater closer to Lake Michigan.
The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for northern Illinois at 3 p.m. Tuesday that was set to expire at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Blizzard warnings also were issued for parts of eight other states.
In declaring the state of emergency, Mayor Schock conferred authority to City Manager Sean Stegall to do what is deemed critical to support the city's emergency response effort.
“We may proactively close roads depending upon conditions and circumstances,” Stegall said. “We may need to barricade streets and prohibit cars and pedestrian traffic in certain areas.”
According to a city release, the city manager is also authorized to procure goods, services and equipment needed to facilitate the city’s emergency response.
A limited activation of the city of Elgin’s Emergency Operations Center also has been initiated, the city release stated. This limited activation allows for public works, police and fire to immediately respond to the weather emergency in the best interests of Elgin residents.
Public Works Department crews were out in force trying to clear streets, and as city officials promised Monday night, the city's emergency snow routes were activated Tuesday, requiring residents to move their vehicles off those streets or have them towed.
But city officials also were asking residents to avoid parking along all city streets while the blizzard warning was in effect.
Earlier Tuesday, the blizzard warning had not even taken effect when area school districts began announcing the cancellation of the day's after-school programs and the closure of schools on Wednesday.
Elgin School District U-46 made its announcement late Tuesday morning via an e-mail and robo-call blitz to parents of schoolchildren.
Nearby Community Unit School District 300 issued its notice about within the hour via its Facebook page. The district also canceled Dual Language Orientations scheduled Tuesday evening and Wednesday. The cancellation of after-school activities was left to be decided by each school's principal.
Institutions of higher learning also issued announcements.
Elgin Community College shut down about 2 p.m. Tuesday and was not planning to reopen until Thursday morning, college officials said.
Judson College, issuing its announcement via Twitter and its Facebook page, shut down at mid-afternoon Tuesday, discontinuing classes through Wednesday morning and afternoon. The university, however, had not yet made a decision about its Wednesday evening classes. That decision is expected by 3 p.m. Wednesday. Judson officials urged residential students to remain on campus until the storm passes.
As Elgin residents slept Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, a fleet of trucks driven by guys like Kevin Kujak rumbled up and down the city's streets in an intense, sometimes frustrating effort to unclog a road system mired in the wake of a blizzard that dropped about 18 inches of snow and whipped up drifts as much as 3 feet deep.
The city is moving ahead with plans to build Elgin's largest roundabout to ease East-Side traffic congestion at Summit Street and Dundee Avenue, despite criticism raised before the City Council on Jan. 12.