The Tuesday snowstorm that made Chicago’s evening rush a “nightmare” produced the most accumulation since the 2011 blizzard.

 

The snow began falling Tuesday morning, and the record for the largest Chicago snowfall on March 5 was broken when 9.2 inches of accumulation were recorded at O’Hare International Airport, according to the National Weather Service.

 

The storm also quickly became the largest of the season, surpassing the 5.4 inches accumulated at O’Hare International Airport between Feb. 26 and Feb. 27, the weather service said.

 

Another inch of snow is possible before the storm tapers off into light flurries after midnight, the weather service said. Some places closer to Lake Michigan could see snow showers continue into early Wednesday morning.

 

As of 9 p.m., 9.1 inches of snow had fallen at O’Hare Airport, setting a new daily snowfall record for the date of March 5. The previous record was 3.8 inches, set in 1999 and tied in 2002.

 

The hardest-hit areas in northern Illinois were west suburban La Grange Park, and Chicago Rockford International Airport far northwest of the city, which both saw 11 inches of snow.

 

Northwest suburban Batavia saw 9.1 inches, while south suburban Homewood and Chicago Ridge in Cook County each had about 9 inches of the white stuff.

 

Southwest suburban Joliet had 8.7 inches of snow, while west suburban Naperville had slightly less, at 8.5 inches of snow. North suburban Lake Bluff had even less, at 6.1 inches.

 

A winter storm warning remains in effect until midnight because the snow will make travel dangerous, according to the weather service. On area roads, police reported no serious-injury accidents but lots of spinouts.

 

The city and state deployed their full fleet of snowplows to clear the roads.

 

Airlines canceled more than 1,180 flights at O’Hare and Midway airports, according to the city’s Department of Aviation.

 

The airlines canceled more than 930 flights at O’Hare and 250 flights at Midway, the Dept. of Aviation said. Southwest Airlines canceled all flights out of Midway after 10 a.m., but was operating again by Tuesday evening with 3-hour delays.

 

For those yearning for spring, warmer weather is not too far off, according to the weather service. The temperature is expected to reach 41 by Friday and 44 on Saturday, promising a slushy weekend.

 

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