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Claffey said in an email that traffic was lighter than normal on Chicago expressways Tuesday afternoon, an indication that many people took public transportation instead of cars. Claffey also said there were no reports of any major traffic accidents.
• Still, some in Chicago were caught off guard by the last gasp from Old Man Winter. Many left their downtown jobs early, with some saying they had to go home to take care of children after school programs were canceled or baby sitters couldn't make it.
• "I thought it was just media hype," said Stacia Kopplin, who was fleeing her financial services job shortly after noon to catch a train home to the suburbs.
• Schools were closed in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois, where officials urged caution on slick roads. In western Wisconsin, a semi-trailer slid off a snow-covered interstate near Menomonie and into the Red Cedar River, killing one person. The search for a second person, believed to be a passenger, was suspended overnight.
• Airlines canceled more than 1,100 flights at Chicago airports, prompting delays and closures at others. Airlines along the storm's projected path were already cutting flights too, including about 450 on Wednesday, most of them at Dulles and Reagan National airports in the Washington area, according to FlightAware.com. Daniel Baker, CEO of the flight-tracking service, said he expected the numbers to rise.
• In Chicago, officials worked to keep Lake Shore Drive safe. The February 2011 blizzard embarrassed the city when hundreds of cars and buses were entombed in snow on the roadway that runs along Lake Michigan. Many people were trapped overnight.
• City government took steps to prevent a repeat. Officials opened a removable barrier in the roadway's median to allow emergency vehicles quicker access to trouble spots. Plows and salt-spreading trucks were in easier striking distance of Lake Shore Drive, and they started treating the roadway hours before snow began falling.
• Elsewhere, some were taking the snow in stride.
• "It's not that bad at all," said 47-year-old Alicia Aldrete, who was out walking her dog in Madison, Wis. "Just make sure you shovel immediately, put lots of salt on the ground and also store lots of food in case of emergency."
• Dave Koch, manager at Paul's Tavern in Dubuque, Iowa, said business was surprisingly busy Tuesday afternoon as people came in to escape the snow. At least 5 inches of snow had fallen.
• "In general, everyone's attitude is pretty tired," Koch said. "I think people are tired of the snow and the gloomy weather."
• A.J. Krizman, an 87-year-old retiree from South Bend, Ind., said he hoped it was

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