Though nearly 1,000 flights have been canceled at Chicago airports as a snowstorm hits the area, O’Hare was relatively quiet Saturday afternoon and not too chaotic, according to Kate Paulsen, who was trying to catch a flight to Budapest for some holiday shopping.
With most cancellations scheduled for later in the day, a few travelers still waited inside, unsure of what would happen to their plans.
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 Sunday midmorning. 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, 960 flights were canceled at O’Hare International Airport, and about 188 flights were canceled at Midway International Airport, according to the city’s Department of Aviation.
Additionally at O’Hare, delays were on the decrease though still reported to be about 73 minutes and about 40 minutes at Midway.
A ground delay was also issued at O’Hare with some flights delayed by more than five hours, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Snow continues to spread across the area and is accumulating on roads. Expect conditions to continue to deteriorate through the afternoon with peak snow rates expected between 12 PM and 8 PM today. If traveling use caution and be prepared for slippery travel! #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/z6FpyDCl9a
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) November 29, 2025
A winter storm warning remains in effect until 6 a.m. Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
The snow — which will leave between 6-10 inches almost evenly in the Chicago area except far north suburbs such as Waukegan where it could be higher — looks to be tapering off by mid the late morning on Sunday, according to Yack. The heaviest snowfall rate will be from Saturday afternoon until 8. p.m.
“There could be patchy accumulations overnight as well,” Yack said.
Temperatures as of noon hover between 26 and 28 at both airports and will possibly reach 30 by sunset Saturday, and gradually rise to 32 or 33 by daybreak, Yack said.
Snowfall was expected to intensity throughout Saturday, making roads hazardous.
Motorists should slow down, he added, saying he had not heard of any major traffic crashes or injuries due to the weather.
“Just be aware of any drastic changes in visibility and snow in the roadway,” Yack said. Try to avoid traveling Saturday afternoon until about 8 p.m.
“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 would continue to work into the afternoon, monitoring arterial streets, DuSable Lake Shore Drive, and bridges and overpasses, to ensure roads are safe and passable for emergency vehicles, public transportation and other travelers, the agency said.
On Cook County highways, an Illinois State Police Distirct Chicago trooper said as of 2 p.m. there were a couple of dozen “pending” calls for traffic collisions though none were serious, just “property damage.”
The majority of the crashes appeared to have occurred on the I-294 tollway, he added.
As far as the rails, Metra spokesperson Meg Thomas-Reile reported no delays or cancellations 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.
As of midday Chicago police and fire spokespersons reported no major weather-related incidents though Pacific Gardens Mission representative Nick Bustillo told the Sun-Times they have had a “100 percent” uptick in people needing their help in the storm.
The West Loop neighborhood mission at 1458 S. Canal St. is considered 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 help those in need. They’re not at capacity yet, Bustillo said, but are “getting close.”
“People are calling and wanting to come in because the weather is pretty bad,” Bustillo said.
Additionally, Bustillo said for the first time in the mission’s decades-long history, they have canceled Saturday events due to the inclement weather.
“We don’t want someone to drive in here and have an accident,” Bustillo said.
Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications Asst. Dir. Frank Velez told the Sun-Times Saturday at midday nothing major had been reported in the city.
“Right now we’re just paying attention to the national weather center,” Velez said as of midday.
“We are working closely with Streets and Sanitation during plowing periods and they’ve extended their hours until tomorrow and Monday depending on the weather,” Velez said.
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 electrical outages that are storm related.
No significant spikes in calls have come in to the city’s 311 center, either, he said. Data for 911 calls was not yet available.
“So far there hasn’t been been an abundance of (311) calls yet,” Velez said, while urging friends and relatives to check on seniors or others needing special assistance.
“Please make sure to check on seniors for their well-being. Call 311,” Velez said.
“If you don’t have to get out to drive or travel, don’t,” added OEMC spokesperson Mary May. “Safety is number one.”
Weather clearing tools to help with icy sidewalks and driveways are still available on the city’s Northwest Side’s Ave Hardware in Edgebrook,5423 W Devon Ave.
Cashier Dylan Yale says they’ve had a few people calling about snow blowers, though no sales Saturday.
“Yeah pretty much everyone’s been in here for salt. Usually people just buy one 40 pound bag or two,” Yale said.
“We’ve sold a couple shovels but people around here already have them,” Yale added.
Meanwhile, on the city’s Far South Side, at Plaza True Value Hardware, 11813 S. Michigan Ave., salesman Bruce Butler told the Sun-Times customers were making sure they had the supplies they needed.
“All our sales have been salt and shovels and space heaters,” Butler said, adding they had not sold out of anything. “We got plenty,” said Butler.
“People are just getting prepared since it’s the first snow,” Butler said.
Weather-related illnesses or injuries coming into emergency rooms did not appear to be on the rise as of Saturday afternoon, according to Northwestern University Hospital spokesperson Megan McCann and Polly Tita, Rush University Medical Center spokesperson.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.