Illinois Schools Closed, Over 700 Flights Cancelled As Blizzard Warning Is Issued

Update: 3 a.m. EST - Illinois State Police Department District 17 reported that Route 6 - between Interstate-180 and Princeton - was closed, due to snow drifts from Winter Storm Bruce reaching 3-4 feet. Vehicles were stranded in the area and snowmobile rescues were on their way to the scene. Motorists were urged to use alternate routes.

Original story:

Northern and western Illinois were the worst hit when the state started getting battered by a winter storm Sunday. The blizzard that hit Illinois was expected to bring anywhere between six to 12 inches of snow.

A blizzard warning was issued Sunday for cities like Chicago and Wheaton and other parts of north and northeast Illinois at 3:32 p.m. local time (4:32 p.m. EST), effective till Monday 6 a.m. local time.

“Winds gusting as high as 45 mph will cause whiteout conditions in blowing snow. Significant drifting of the snow is likely… Snow covered roads and significantly reduced visibility are expected. Snowfall rates in excess of two inches per hour are possible… The strong winds and heavy snow may cause falling tree limbs and possible power outages,” the warning said.

According to local news channel WGN-TV, the blizzard could also generate high waves on Lake Michigan, leading to lake shore flooding.

Due to increasingly deteriorating weather, a number of schools in the suburban areas of the state, including 19 districts, announced classes would be cancelled Monday. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced it planned to keep schools open on Monday, although it was watching the weather closely.

“CPS and the city of Chicago are closely monitoring the weather to ensure classes can safely resume tomorrow,” the district said. “Based on the current forecast, school will be in session as scheduled.”

The full list of the school closures is available here.

The storm could not have arrived at a worse time for families making their way back home from the Thanksgiving weekend holiday.

“This storm is expected to hit at a time when millions of people are on the roads, heading home after visiting friends and family,” Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn said, local news outlet My Journal Courier reported. “Please take all necessary precautions, including altering travel plans to leave early or asking yourself if your trip can wait. The IDOT snow-and-ice teams will be prepared, but the public should expect worsening driving conditions Sunday with travel becoming dangerous late in the day.”

In the morning, traffic was backed up near the Interstate 55 near Dwight due to the blizzard. Also, at least 700 flights flying out of the Chicago O’Hare International Airport and 124 at Midway International Airport were canceled due to poor visibility.

“If you are traveling today or tomorrow, please check with your airline for flight status and re-booking. We expect operations to stabilize by tomorrow morning when the snow ends," Chicago Department of Aviation Commissioner Jamie Rhee said, warning travelers to prepare themselves for further cancellations.

American Air posted an update on their flights operating from the O’Hare airport.

As a result of the blizzard, temperatures in various parts of the state was expected to fall drastically Monday.

“We are looking at temperatures around 24 degrees on Monday afternoon, but falling throughout the day,” Chris Geelhart, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Lincoln, told local news outlet Pantagraph. “It’s all kind of a mess.”