Snowy conditions and unrelenting freezing temperatures prompted Chicago’s two major airports to cancel more than 1,300 flights by Monday night.
As of 11 p.m., 1,157 flights had been canceled at O’Hare International Airport and 210 more were grounded at Midway International Airport, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation. O’Hare was reporting delays averaging 44 minutes, while Midway’s delays were lasting less than 15 minutes.
Both airports were hit with roughly 3 inches of fresh snow by 6 a.m. Monday, according to the most recent snowfall totals from the National Weather Service.
More flurries are expected throughout the night time hours and into Tuesday, when temperatures are expected to plummet to dangerous, sub-zero levels, the weather service said. The brutal cold snap could force windchill values to drop to 50 degrees below zero in some parts of the Chicago area.
As a result, the weather service issued a windchill warning for northern Illinois and much of northwest Indiana that will remain in effect from 6 p.m. Tuesday until noon Thursday. The “dangerously cold” conditions could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes, the weather service warned.
