Chicago-area residents woke up to falling snow Friday morning, complicating the morning commute and halting all flights to O’Hare International Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop at O’Hare until 9:15 a.m. due to the snow. Meanwhile, 90 fights were delayed and 91 cancelled at the airport, according to FlightAware.com.
Snow began falling between 5:30 and 6 a.m. Friday and accumulation of 1 to 2 inches was possible, according to the National Weather Service. The snow was expected to taper off around midafternoon as the snowstorm moves to the east, according to David King, a meteorologist with the weather service.
“There might be some lingering flurries behind it, but theoretically, by the afternoon, things should start really kind of winding down,” King said Thursday night.
Commuters should allow extra space while driving Friday morning, King said, as the snow may make roads slick. Snow will be heavier downstate, with up to 2 or 3 inches south of I-80, and lighter in more northwest portions of the state, he said.
Friday’s high temperature was forecast to be 30 degrees, dipping to a low of 19 Friday night.