The curious thing about Chicago snow is that it doesn't fall so much as it blows. Snow here moves horizontally, rather than vertically. The best way to measure accumulations is to get a ruler and place it perpendicular on a tree or lamp post.

It is also advisable (I recommend this mostly for tourists, so we can spot you easier) to wear goggles and a surgical mask when walking the streets during a snow storm. This prevents severe snow-induced trauma to the eyeballs and suffocation by snow. You didn't know this could happen? Well, during tonight's commute home, I nearly succumbed to both.

Another trick is to always have an umbrella available on the El (again I highly recommend this for tourists, just so we know who you are) for when the doors open at the outdoor platform stops. Grip the umbrella tight, because it will be your defense against the blustery gusts of frigid, ice-filled winds that blow into the train each time the portal draws back its doors.