With nearly all of the Chicago area under either a winter weather advisory or a winter storm warning Tuesday, officials warned of difficult travel conditions and heavy, wet snowfall across the area totaling up to 9 inches in some parts.
Tuesday morning, as much as 1-4 inches of snow had already fallen in some parts, though early rain had wiped some of those totals away.
While suburbs to the north and west didn’t see much snow overnight, more is on the way, with some parts expected to see as much as 9 inches by Tuesday evening, the NBC 5 Storm Team said.
Here are the latest updates on travel conditions, flight cancelations, and more as the first big snowstorm of the season hits the Chicago area.
More than 100 O’Hare, Midway flight cancellations
More than 100 flights at Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway International Airports were canceled as of Tuesday morning, FlyChicago.com showed.
As of 7:30 a.m., 79 flight cancelations were reported at O’Hare, and 28 cancellations were reported at Midway.
Is your child’s school closed? Here’s how to check
More than a dozen Chicago schools already announced closures due to the storm.
Here’s the full list of closures reported across the area.
For Chicago Public Schools information, go here.
How to check Illinois road conditions
The Illinois Department of Transportation issued a warning to drivers, advising of slick conditions along with reduced visibility and urged residents to avoid traveling if possible.
“If you must travel, be advised your destination could have significantly higher amounts of snow than where your trip originated,” the alert said. “Slow down, anticipate much longer travel times, increase braking distances and expect conditions to deteriorate.”
If you do need to travel, use these links to check the road conditions near you:
Officials issue ‘over-salting’ warning
Chicago officials urged residents residents to not use excessive amounts of salt on their sidewalks and driveways.
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago posted the reminder on Sunday afternoon, saying that it takes a surprisingly low amount of salt to properly melt away snow and ice.
According to officials, a 12-ounce cup holds enough salt for 10 sidewalk squares, or a 20-foot driveway.
Predicted snow totals
Roman noted an estimated 1-4 inches of snow fell in counties under the winter weather advisory overnight, with more than 4 inches recorded in Joliet, and 3.6 inches recorded in Chicago. Morning rain wiped out the totals in some of areas, Roman said, adding that precipitation in those parts may stay in the form of rain as the day continues.
By Tuesday evening, counties in the advisory may only see an additional inch of snow accumulating.
North and west counties under the winter storm warning however could see snow totals of between 6-8, or even 9 inches by Tuesday night, forecast models show. Between 2-5 inches of snow was likely to fall between 7 – 10 a.m., with morning commutes likely impacted, Roman said.
“Plan for a messy morning commute, with slick roads and reduced visibility,” Roman said, adding that morning winds of 20-25 miles per hour were expected to increase as the day continued.
ComEd officials Monday announced with the company’s Emergency Operations Center will open Tuesday to assist with any problems that may arise.
“The kind of snow forecasted this week can be especially problematic because it can cause branches and entire trees to topple onto our power lines,” COO Dave Perez said in a statement.
According to Roman, widespread snow was expected to continue falling throughout the day, with most areas seeing heavy snow through 9 p.m., and tapering overnight.
Weather alerts: Winter storm warning, winter weather advisory
Winter storm warning: North and west suburbs
According to the National Weather Service, a winter storm warning was in place until midnight Wednesday for Lake, McHenry, DeKalb, Kane and LaSalle counties in Illinois, and Kenosha Counties in Wisconsin.
“Heavy, wet snow and dangerous travel conditions expected,” the NWS warned in an alert. “Travel could be very difficult. Patchy blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility.”
Wind gusts early Tuesday clocked in at 20-25 miles per hour, NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alicia Roman said, with gusts expected to reach as high as 40 mph by afternoon.
Additionally, snowfall rates were expected to exceed one inch per hour, creating dangerous driving conditions for both the morning and evening commutes.
“If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight for food and water,” the NWS said.
Traffic cameras across parts of Illinois early Tuesday morning showed slick, slippery roads, wet snowflakes and low visibility.
Winter weather advisory: South, southeast suburbs
DuPage, Central Cook, Kendall, Grundy, Northern Will and Kankakee counties in Illinois; along with Lake, Porter, Northern La Porte and Newton in Indiana were under a winter weather advisory through 12 p.m. Tuesday. In those areas, heavy snowfall was also expected.
Further south, a rain-snow mix was expected early, with rain eventually transitioning to full snow by 2 p.m.
“Wet snow and slippery travel conditions expected,” the NWS alert said.