“Welcome Aboard Flight 7454 with non-stop service to Antarctica Chicago.”

You know you are headed for travel trouble when this is the first thing out of your flight attendant’s mouth.  His funny joke was followed up seconds later with the pilot warning us passengers to buckle up, bumpy skies are ahead.

Weather Strands Travelers at ABIA

If you know me, you know I do not fly well.  I had to return to Chicago for a personal matter and had to deal with whatever the weather dealt.  So, I said a prayer, buckled up and for the first time read the safety pamphlet. The flight was mostly smooth, perhaps the scariest part was not having any visibility until we were 70 seconds away from landing at O’Hare.  Hitting the runway was more like taking to a  slip and slide.

Runways were coated with snow at O'Hare (Jacqueline Ingles/KXAN)

Landing was not the worst part. Fast forward three hours and Chicago looked like a snow globe an overzealous child shook.  In all the decades I called Chicago home, I have never seen snow or weather like this “Blizzard of 2011.” Within hours, snow accumulated in record numbers. Making matters worse were 50 mph wind gusts stirring up the powder into the sky.  Those who chose to walk in Downtown Chicago were practically blown over. A man was killed when the wind blew him into Lake Michigan.  People driving on Lake Shore Drive were stranded and at the mercy of rescuers on snowmobiles. Those cars and some people were still stuck 24 hours later.

Snow Filled Evergreens

Aerial Shot of Chicago

Snow clearing is now underway, car ars are being towed off of Lake Shore Drive and the airports should be re-opening. But, this blizzard is not over yet.  The temperature is plunging here and we are going to be -30 degrees overnight.  I am bundling up in sweats to sleep…tomorrow though…the trek into the city should be fun and challenging.

Will I make it in?

TO BE CONT’D…………BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.