Nov 11

Nov 11 WTF

“Oh, so cold up north that the birds can’t hardly fly
So cold up north that the birds can’t hardly fly
I’m going back south
And let this winter pass on by
And let this winter pass on by
And let this winter pass on by
Let this winter pass on by, yeah”

— Cold Weather Blues, Muddy Waters, from Folk Singer (1964)

It’s November 11th. It should be 40 degrees. Well, someone forgot to tell the weatherman. Before the polar vortex hit around 2PM today, Chicago was hit with a snowstorm. Somewhere around 3.5 inches fell. Many Chicagoans packed, called a moving van, and headed south.

Wanting to avoid liability, building owners were ready with the salt. The problem: Once the temperature dropped, the sidewalks turned to ice. We are headed to single digits tonight and tomorrow. It’s November 11th.

Because today is Veterans’ Day, the traffic was light, but there were plenty of accidents. A plane also slid off the runway at O’Hare. Because the temperatures were so low, there were not a lot of takers for mattress or other sales. Michigan Avenue was empty. I guess people are waiting for Black Friday, or maybe they are at the Art Institute of Chicago’s Andy Warhol blockbuster exhibit. No need to stand on Michigan Avenue to see Marilyn Monroe.