Winter is making its presence felt in Chicago as a snowstorm swept through the city early this morning, leading to school closures, hundreds of flight cancellations, and treacherous driving conditions. According to FOX 32 Chicago, snowfall rates reached 2 inches per hour during the morning commute, with instances of thundersnow and hazardous road conditions throughout the area.
With winds howling at rates like a gust recorded offshore at 58 mph, nearly a foot of snow was dumped in some areas by the snow band as it began to shift east by mid-morning. In contrast, the western counties saw obviously less accumulation. Due to the severity of the storm, plow crews struggled to keep up with the rapidly falling snow in the early hours, as noted by FOX 32 Chicago.
The National Weather Service provided a forecast of snow likely before noon with mostly sunny conditions and a high near 34, with strong northwest winds gusting up to 25 mph. The chance of precipitation stood at 70%, with total daytime snow accumulation projected to be between 1 to 2 inches. Overnight, increasing clouds will lead to a low around 27, with gusts potentially reaching 30 mph.
Flight operations in Chicago's bustling airports felt the brunt of the storm, with more than 450 flights being scrapped as snow locked down the region. O'Hare and Midway experienced a significant number of cancellations, with 243 and 130 reported, respectively, by 6 a.m. Monday, "as snow has locked down the area," according to FOX 32 Chicago.
Several educational institutions have altered their Monday schedules in response to the winter storm, with some canceling classes altogether or moving to E-learning formats. This decision was made ahead of time as weather conditions rapidly deteriorated.
