3+ inches of snow falls across Chicago area, more lake-effect snow to come

CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) - A burst of heavy snowfall brought over 3 inches of snow into the Chicago area Sunday, with more lake-effect snow scheduled for the region Monday morning.

Bands of heavy snowfall moving across parts of northeast Illinois transitioned into lighter snow during the afternoon, the weather service said. By 12 a.m. Monday, O’Hare International Airport recorded 3.1 inches of snow.

As a result, the National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for much of the Chicago region and northwest Indiana. Drivers were advised to use caution on snow-covered roads with limited visibilities and allow extra time for travel.

More accumulation is headed Chicago’s way, however. On Monday, “moderate to briefly heavy” lake-enhanced snow will fall across Illinois and Indiana counties that line Lake Michigan, the weather service said.

Temperatures are expected to reach a high of 30 degrees during the day before dropping to a low of 8 degrees at night, the weather service said.

The snowfall prompted nearly 200 flight cancellations at Chicago’s two major airports Sunday morning, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.

By 12:50 p.m., 144 flights had been cancelled at O’Hare International Airport and another 49 flights had been grounded at Midway International Airport, the department of aviation said. Travelers at O’Hare were also facing average delays of nearly an hour, while delays at Midway were averaging less than 15 minutes.

Chicago’s Department of Streets and Sanitation deployed 211 vehicles to respond to the snowfall, according to a statement from the agency. Salt spreaders are working to keep Lake Shore Drive and the city’s main roads safe and passable before possibly transitioning to residential streets.