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'A Snow Day For Me': Evanston Residents, City Workers Dig Out After The Storm

EVANSTON, Ill. (CBS) -- One of the highest snow totals in the Chicago area came from Evanston, with 18 inches on the ground.

CBS 2's Marie Saavedra spent the day there, digging out as many residents there did. But for many others who didn't have to get out today or were physically unable to, you'll find their cars still buried under the incredible amount of snow that fell in Evanston.

"I felt like, what is her name, Elsa from Frozen," laughed LaTonya Robinson on Tuesday morning.

"When I opened the door, I sort of put my foot out, and Mother Nature was like, 'get your butt back in the house. Where are you going,'" said Robinson.

The answer was nowhere. She called into work, and waited until her complex broke out the snow blower. The best option for making a dent in a freshly fallen foot-and-a-half of snow.

"I would have said 20, 20-plus!"

Edgar Cano is the head of the City of Evanston's snow removal.

"You got to remember, this is on top of 20-some inches already," Cano said.

He said plows are out pushing what they can to the curbs, and trucks carry piles from parking lots to the city Service Center. Then, the caterpillar comes in to stack it all up.

That's two tons of snow in every load.

"Any areas or parking lots like this where we have mounds of snow, we haul it to our city facilities, where we have a snow melter, the melter will melt the snow," said Cano.

Back at Robinson's, she's just hopeful her snow will melt by the end of March.

"So it's just a snow day for me! You know, hopefully everything will be a smooth commute tomorrow," Robinson said.

Eventually, those who haven't dug out their cars yet will be forced to or they'll get a ticket. The city of Evanston is beginning its alternating days of parking on side streets, so plows can do a better job.

Click here for a link for more information on Evanston streets and parking rules.

 

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