Orland Park: Post Snow, What To Know

ORLAND PARK, IL — Wish it was spring already? Many will agree if you answered yes. A snowstorm that started over the weekend and lasted into Tuesday morning dumped more than a foot of snow on some areas, with the highest snowfall total so far — nearly 18 inches — seen at Midway airport.

Cook County was hit the hardest, but other areas, including parts of Will County, got as much as 9 inches in some places. The National Weather Service has yet to specify the amount of snow fall Orland Park received from the storm, but here are some things to know when going about your day.

Warming Stations

The Village of Orland Park has a number of locations residents can go to for warmth. One location is the Orland Park Police Department, 15100 S. Ravinia Ave. The department is the village's primary warming center, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

See other warming centers in the area, here.

Snow Angels

At the Village of Orland Park Board of Trustees meeting Monday, the board unanimously voted to approve of a new volunteer snow shoveling program called Snow Angels.

The village said that those who need help shoveling and those who would like to volunteer are encouraged to sign up for the program. The service is aimed to connect residents that are unable to shovel their own walks/driveways with volunteers that are willing to provide snow shoveling services. Volunteers are needed for the entire winter season, according to the village.

Learn more about the new program, here.

No Trash Pick-Up

Waste Management is postponing garbage pickup for Tuesday, Feb. 16 due to heavy snowfall. The company's sites will also be closed.

Routes are being pushed back a day, and the disposal service will be servicing customers Wednesday through Saturday to make up for Tuesday, similar to a holiday week. In other words, if your regular garbage collection is Tuesday, it's going to be delayed by a day.

Schools Closed

We've got good news and bad news for all you kids out there. The good news is that in-person classes and school buildings will be closed Tuesday, Feb. 16. The bad news is that a lot of you will have e-learning.

Here are the school districts that are canceling in-person classes or canceling classes:

• Community Consolidated School District 146: Closed, E-learning.
• Orland School District 135: Closed, E-learning.
• Consolidated High School District 230: Closed, E-learning.
• St. Michael's & Cardinal Bernardin: Closed, E-learning.

Source: Emergency Closing Center

Make Sure Those Fire Hydrants Are Clear

The Orland Fire Protection District is asking residents to make sure fire hydrants on their blocks are cleared. If a fire were to occur, firefighters would have to dig the snow out from the hydrants near your home, as minutes go by and flames continue to burn.

There should be three feet of clearance surrounding fire hydrants. The district said to remove any snow and ice, along with making sure there is a clear path between the hydrant and the street.

Snow Plows

The Village of Orland Park's snow removal plan always goes into effect after two inches of snow is reported. Parked vehicles must be kept off the street for eight hours after it snows, to enable plowing crews to make clear passes. Vehicles parked on the street during the winter parking ban will be ticketed.

Residents should never push shoveled snow into the street and always to the lawn or parkway. Orland recommends contacting the Public Works Department to report any ice patches on the road that need to be salted. See Orland snow plow routes on the village website, here.

Tinley Park Convention Center

The Tinley Park Convention Center is being used as a mass COVID-19 vaccination site, and was the first mass site to open in Illinois back in January. Tinley Park Public Works announced that due to the severe weather conditions, the site will remain closed on Tuesday, and reopen Wednesday at 8:30 a.m.

Many people are scrambling to schedule a vaccine appointment, and the site is one place those who wish to be inoculated are getting into. A representative from Cook County will be in contact with those who now have cancelled appointments.

Don't go out if you don't have to

The National Weather Service advised motorists to use caution, as blowing and drifting snow continued to reduce visibility on the roads. Localized heavy lake effect snowfall rates could also continue near Lake Michigan through the morning, with hazardous travel conditions due to snow-covered roads.
Authorities urged residents to:

• Consider postponing non-essential travel
• Bring an emergency kit if you must drive
• Check road conditions before leaving
• Take it slow when shoveling snow

The area could get more snow in the coming days, with light snow possible Wednesday night and more snow — most likely near the lake) on Thursday.
Friday and Saturday are expected to be partly sunny with highs in the low 20s.

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