Warning for Chicago residents: Dig your car out before temps dip this weekend
CHICAGO - A small army of snowplows is working to clear Chicago’s side streets after more than a foot of snow fell over the past week.
City officials are warning that if your car is snowed in, you probably want to dig it out before the weekend.
"We need a lot of understanding from folks that we want them cleared as bad as everybody else and we’re gonna continue to do that," said Streets and Sanitation Deputy Commissioner Cole Stallard.
It is the biggest dig-out the city has experienced in more than five years -- 16 inches of wet heavy snow falling in less than a week.
The good news is all of the main streets and arterials are cleared of snow and in good shape. But the residential streets are a different story.
While some are clear, FOX 32 found others still unplowed.
Luis Castro’s pickup truck got stuck pulling onto 52nd on the southwest side, forcing him to grab a shovel and clear his tires.
"Yeah I got stuck in too much snow. Where are the trucks?" he said.
In Englewood, few of the residential streets had been cleared, which is why James Lipscomb was doing the job himself.
"Because why not? It’s my duty. We got the time," he said.
Then FOX 32 came across an unplowed street leading to an immaculately plowed street, which just happens to be the home block of 14th Ward Alderman Ed Burke.
Neighbors say it has always been that way.
"Well that’s always been the case. There’s always certain areas to get plowed first," neighbor Carol said.
Streets and Sanitation has had nearly 300 pieces of equipment out since Saturday, and is asking residents to call 311 if their street still needs work.
"And we’re bringing folks back in at 5 o’clock tomorrow morning to hit the inside streets again," Stallard said.
The city warns, however, that Chicago residents better dig out their car by the weekend when temperatures are expected to fall into the single digits, or they say you will not be moving for a long time.