(CHICAGO) More than 1,100 flights have been canceled at O’Hare and Midway as a wintry mix of sleet, freezing rain, light snow and high winds hit the Chicago area Monday.
A winter storm warning has been extended until 6 p.m. for Cook County, according to the National Weather Service in Romeoville.
As of 3:30 p.m., more than 900 flights had been canceled at O’Hare and delays were averaging about an hour, according to the city’s Department of Aviation. At Midway, more than 210 flights had been canceled and some delays averaged two hours.
Light freezing rain or sleet will cause minor ice accumulations of a tenth to a quarter of an inch in Chicago, and up to a quarter inch in DuPage, Grundy and Will counties, according to the weather service.
The storm could produce 25-35 mph winds. Along the lakeshore, wind gusts as high as 50 mph could cause flooding.
The city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation deployed more than 280 snow plows and salt spreaders Monday. The department will continue to monitor the weather and adjust resources as needed.
The State Emergency Operations Center in Springfield was activated Monday morning to ensure that state personnel and equipment are ready if needed to help local emergency responders deal with flooding and winter weather, according to a statement from Gov. Rauner’s office.
“Road conditions are hazardous in many areas of the state, so if you can postpone travel plans today that would be best,” IEMA Director James Joseph said in the statement.
As of about noon, ComEd reported that about 4,500 customers were without power. On Sunday night, the utility issued a statement saying it has increased staffing to quickly respond to any outages.
