Over 1,300 flights canceled at Chicago airports amid brutal winter storm
(CameliaTWU/Flickr)
CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) - Snowy conditions and unrelenting freezing temperatures prompted Chicago’s two major airports to cancel more than 1,300 flights by Monday evening.
As of 7 p.m., 1,096 flights had been canceled at O’Hare International Airport and 230 more were grounded at Midway International Airport, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation. O’Hare was reporting delays averaging 53 minutes, while Midway’s delays were lasting less than 15 minutes.
Both airports were hit with roughly 3 inches of fresh snow by 6 a.m. Monday, according to the most recent snowfall totals from the National Weather Service.
More flurries are expected throughout the night time hours and into Tuesday, when temperatures are expected to plummet to dangerous, sub-zero levels, the NWS said. The brutal cold snap could force windchill values to drop below 50 degrees in some parts of the Chicago area.
As a result, the weather service issued a windchill warning for northern Illinois and much of northwest Indiana that will remain in effect from 6 p.m. Tuesday until noon Thursday. The “dangerously cold” conditions could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes, the NWS warned.