More than 3 inches of snow falls at O’Hare as hundreds of flights canceled during winter storm

Though more than 1,300 flights have been canceled at Chicago airports as a snowstorm hit the area, O’Hare Airport was relatively quiet Saturday afternoon and not too chaotic, according to Kate Paulsen, who was trying to catch a flight to Budapest, Hungary, for some holiday shopping.

As of noon, 3.2 inches of snow had fallen at O’Hare and 2.5 at Midway, said National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Donofrio. Those totals were expected to increase before the storm ends mid-morning Sunday. The Chicago area could see up to 10 inches of snow by the time it’s all over.

Paulsen, her mom, and her sister were supposed to land in Budapest on Saturday, but a last-minute American Airlines cancellation threw their plans off course. They’d already lost the first day of their trip, and even after hours of searching for another flight, they were striking out.

“We’re supposed to be visiting the holiday markets there,” said Paulsen, 37, of Iowa. “If we can’t fly out today we’ll have to cancel the whole trip.”

Los Angeles resident Gail Edenson found herself sitting and waiting at O’Hare’s Terminal 2 after her flight home was delayed more than an hour due to the weather.

“If it’s Chicago, you have to expect for this to happen,” said Edenson, who was in Chicago visiting family for the holiday.

Edenson, who grew up in Chicago, wasn’t surprised by the setback, but she was still hoping to get out of the city on Saturday.

As of Saturday afternoon, 1,100 flights were canceled at O’Hare, and about 202 flights were canceled at Midway according to the city Department of Aviation.

By 4 p.m., delays at O’Hare were down to about 63 minutes, and 16 minutes at Midway.

A winter storm warning remains in effect until 6 a.m. Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

The snow is expected to taper off by Sunday morning, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Zachary Yack. The heaviest snowfall will be before 8. p.m. Saturday.

“There could be patchy accumulations overnight as well,” Yack said.

Motorists are advised to take precautions while driving in hazardous conditions. “Just be aware of any drastic changes in visibility and snow in the roadway,” Yack said. “Just take it slow and allow extra time to travel.”

The Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation deployed more than 220 salt spreaders overnight in response to the storm.

Crews continued to work into the afternoon, monitoring arterial streets, DuSable Lake Shore Drive, bridges and overpasses, to ensure roads are safe and passable for emergency vehicles, public transportation and other travelers, the agency said.

Metra spokesperson Meg Thomas-Reile reported no delays or cancellations on the commuter rail line due to the weather. “We’re out there clearing snow and watching over the switches,” Thomas-Reile said. Hopefully, she added, all the platforms will be cleared by Monday rush-hour. Spokespersons for CTA, Amtrak and Greyhound did not immediately respond to messages left for comment.

Frank Velez, with Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, told the Sun-Times on Saturday that Streets and Sanitation had extended plowing hours through Sunday, and could go into Monday, depending on the weather. The city’s warming centers are open and their hours are also being extended.

No heat outage emergencies have been reported in any buildings, Velez said, adding ComEd has also not reported any unusual power outages that are storm related. No significant spikes in calls have come in to the city’s 311 center, either, he said.

Pacific Gardens Mission representative Nick Bustillo told the Sun-Times the mission has had a “100%” spike in people needing their help during the storm.

The West Loop neighborhood mission, at 1458 S. Canal St., is the city’s largest homeless shelter, with 877 beds. But if those fill up, mats are placed in the facility’s auditorium and chapel to house those in need. They’re not at capacity yet, Bustillo said, but are “getting close.”

For the first time in the mission’s decades-long history, it has canceled Saturday events due to the inclement weather.

“People are calling and wanting to come in because the weather is pretty bad,” Bustillo said. “We don’t want someone to drive in here and have an accident.”

St. Charles canceled its Electric Christmas Parade, and the Brookfield Zoo closed its Chicago’s Holiday Magic exhibition Saturday, with plans to reopen at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Some of the zoo’s animal residents enjoyed their first snowfalls in Chicago, including a 4-month-old Amur leopard cub and polar bear Amelia Gray.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.