White-out conditions were reported on several expressways, and more than 400 flights were cancelled at O'Hare and Midway airports, as blowing snow hit the Chicago area in time for the afternoon rush Thursday.
Rush-hour snow snarls expressways, airports
Zbigniew Bzdak, Chicago Tribune
By Chicago Tribune staff White-out conditions were reported on several expressways, and more than 400 flights were cancelled at O'Hare and Midway airports, as blowing snow hit the Chicago area in time for the afternoon rush Thursday.
Visibility was down to a matter of yards along some stretches of Interstate 80/94 through the south suburbs late in the afternoon, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
“We are going to have a very messy rush hour with elevated times,” IDOT spokeswoman Carson Quinn said. “It is going to be a very snowy commute with slick conditions.”
Quinn said drivers should exercise caution and give snow plows space to do their work.
“The timing of the storm during rush hour will likely require some additional time for crews to do their jobs,” she said. “We will start with the expressways. Watch for black ice and drifting snow.”