Bursts of lake-effect snow in Chicago weather forecast Friday could bring over 6 inches; ground stop at O'Hare
Bursts of heavy lake-effect snow have started falling in Chicago, and remain in the weather forecast throughout Friday before the band moves to Northwest Indiana overnight.
A ground stop was in place for more than two hours for flights headed to O'Hare International Airport due to snow and ice, but that ground stop was lifted at 3:30 p.m., with a ground delay now in place for incoming flights until 11:59 p.m.
A total of 353 flights had been canceled at O'Hare as of 7 p.m., with another 1,188 delayed. Delays were averaging 102 minutes as of 7 p.m. At Midway International Airport, only three flights had been canceled as of 7 p.m., with another 103 flights delayed, and delays averaging 15 minutes.
Bursts of snow lasting one to two hours began shortly after 8 a.m. and are expected to continue through the 8 p.m. hour Friday.
With snow falling as heavy as it has been this morning, some parts of the Loop and the South Side could see accumulations of 6 inches or more by the time the system has moved out of the area, CBS News Chicago Meteorologist David Yeomans said. Other parts of Northern Illinois and Chicago are more likely to see totals of 1 to 3 inches.
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for Cook County until midnight Friday night, and for Lake and Porter counties in Indiana from 6 p.m. Friday until 6 p.m. Saturday.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Cook County until 4 p.m. Saturday, for Lake County in Illinois until 8 p.m. Friday, and for Will County from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Overnight, the focus of the snow band will shift to Northwest Indiana, where some localized totals could top 12 inches. Snow will be heaviest overnight and into Saturday morning, but will taper off by the afternoon.
While the exact track of the storm is uncertain, conditions in affected areas could deteriorate rapidly, so anyone out on the roads Friday and Saturday should be aware and cautious.
The Illinois Department of Transportation is also reminding drivers to give snow plows and salt trucks ample room to do their jobs as the snow arrives this weekend.
IDOT said they've seen several people collide with their plows already this weekend, including eight plow crashes last Sunday during the heavy snow. These situations are dangerous, and require them to pull a snow plow out of service for full inspection, which slows down crews and could keep road conditions from improving quickly.
Snow totals around Chicago area
WIth more snow on the way, some parts of Chicago had already seen more than an inch of snow by 1:30 p.m. Friday.
In Northbrook, Ill., 1.8 inches had fall. Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood and Ohio Street Beach got 1.5 inches by 1:30 p.m.
The South Loop saw 1.1 inches by early afternoon and West Town got 1 inch of snow.
More rounds of lake-effect snow are expected as the afternoon and evening continue.
