Snow storm forces Chicago airports to cancel 1,700 flights

Chicago, IL, United States (AHN) – A severe snow storm dumped up to four inches of snow in Chicago on Sunday and forced O’Hare and Midway airports to cancel 1,700 flights.

More flights are expected to be cancelled and delayed as the National Weather Service forecast cold temperatures and strong winds until midnight Monday. The weather service said snow was up to 2.5 inches deep at Midway and about an inch at O’Hare.

O’Hare International Airport, which averages 2,000 flights per day, put out 200 cots for stranded travelers.

Meanwhile, interstates outside the Chicago area were covered with snow and ice, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. A 25-truck crash near Granville in north Central Illinois shut westbound Illinois 71 near the Route 89 exit.

At the Navy Pier, the Pepsi Skyline Stage’s roof was blown off by strong winds around 11:30 a.m. Sunday but no one was injured because it was closed.

---