Chicagoans braced for a snowy snarl on what's dubbed one of the year's busiest travel days. Up to two inches of the white stuff blanketed the Windy City, while northwestern Illinois was prepped for a possible three inches, throwing a wrench in post-Thanksgiving travel plans, reported the Chicago Sun-Times.
O'Hare Airport, a bustling travel hub at the best of times, saw holiday travelers threading through snowfall as Sunday morning unfurled its wintry welcome. A Winter Weather Advisory had citizens on their toes until 2 p.m., with ABC7 Meteorologist Jaisol Martinez noting that counties including McHenry, Kane, Kendall, LaSalle and DuPage were hunkered down for the brunt of it. Amid this arctic assault, Alex DeAngeles, a holiday traveler caught by ABC7, maintained a stoic front. "It just looks like it's gonna be a lot to get through," said DeAngeles, "Stay positive. That's all you can do."
As the National Weather Service issued its icy bulletin, stating "expect slower travel times and slick road conditions," AAA chimed in with travel statistics startling in their magnitude. Apparently, a record number of Illinoisans—229,000, to be precise, up by 22,000 from last year—took to the skies this Thanksgiving, mentioned ABC7. Molly Hart, a spokesperson for AAA, cast further insight, warning that "the airports are going to be busy as well."
Hart advised that essential safety kits, complete with blankets, water, and kitty litter, should accompany travelers in case of snowy entrapments. "We really encourage you to leave before noon, and we've been saying that even before the snow coming. We also want you to avoid the 3 to 5 p.m. hours, because that's when it's going to be really congested," said Hart in a statement which highlights the need for strategic departures. For those facing the skies, the TSA suggested a tidy two-hour pre-flight airport arrival to mitigate travel stress.
