Winter Storm Grounds Air Traffic At O'Hare After Delays, Cancelations

CHICAGO — Tuesday’s delayed welcome back to winter weather has wreaked havoc on air travel around Chicago and grounded air traffic at O'Hare International Airport on Tuesday due to heavy snow and icy conditions, the Federal Aviation Agency announced.

The ground stop was ordered just after 3 p.m. as a wintry mix of snow and rain has created treacherous conditions around the greater Chicago area. The initial ground stoppage was expected to be lifted around 4:30 p.m. but officials said that it could be extended if weather conditions did not improve.

In Chicago, more than 150 flights have been canceled and more than 500 more have been delayed at the city’s two international airports, according to a flight-tracking website.

As the greater Chicago area continues to deal with either a wintery mix of snow and rain – with portions of the region seeing more snow than others, a total of 124 flights were canceled at O’Hare International Airport so far on Tuesday while 39 flights were canceled at Midway, according to Flight Aware.

In addition to the cancellations, 444 flights were delayed going out of O’Hare while 96 were delayed at Midway in the midst of the biggest surge of wintery weather the region has experienced this season, the website reported.

The National Weather Service said that parts of the Chicago area can still expect to see an additional 6-9 inches of snow as the second round of the winter storm is expected to hit later on Tuesday and into Wednesday.

The highest snow rates are expected northwest of Interstate 55 and I-94, and wind gusts up to 45 mph are possible Tuesday evening, making travel dangerous.

A winter storm warning remains in effect for McHenry, Kane, DeKalb, Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, Lee, and La Salle counties through midnight, with the possibility of another 6 to 9 inches of snow for the DeKalb and Elgin areas, according to the National Weather Service. Winds of up to 40 mph are possible there, as well as Lake County.

Meanwhile, Lake County is also under a winter storm warning, with additional snowfall estimates of 5 to 8 inches in places, but much lower snow accumulation near the lake in Chicago.

The storm is expected to taper off Wednesday when there is only a 10 percent chance of snow with cloudy skies and temperatures around freezing. There is a 70 percent chance of snow overnight Wednesday with accumulations of around 1 inch for most areas before another storm approaches the region on Friday.