Editor's Note: We're tracking the winter storm all day. You can find the latest weather updates in our winter storm live blog here.
Thousands of flights were canceled as a major snowstorm hit the Chicago area Friday morning, at one point leading to a ground stop at O'Hare International Airport.
The ground stop was issued at 5:35 a.m. Friday due to "snow or ice", an alert from the Federal Aviation Administration said.
According to officials, no flights were allowed to enter or leave the airport until at least 8 a.m., then a ground delay program was put in place through Friday evening.
As of 7 a.m. Friday, nearly 1,000 flights were canceled across O'Hare and Midway International Airports, FlyChicago.com reported, with the majority of those cancellations at O'Hare.
"The FAA's priority is safety, meaning that, sometimes, delays are necessary. Weather is the leading cause of delays and cancellations, but the FAA’s Command Center and radar centers work closely with airlines to plan for, and around, expected weather nationwide," the FAA said in a statement, noting that it was not responsible for canceling flights.
By 1 p.m. delays of less than 15 minutes were reported at both airports.
School Closures
More than 100 Illinois schools, colleges and daycares reported closures Friday as the entire Chicago area was under a winter storm warning, set to bring significant snowfall, winds gusting as high as 40 or 50 miles per hour, and dangerous travel conditions.
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The closures range from schools in nearly every Chicago area county and suburb, including Joliet, Wilmette, Elgin, Forest Park, New Lenox, Lake Forest, Lincolnshire, Niles, Midlothian, Tinley Park, Glencoe, McHenry, Arlington Heights and more.
Closures Friday also included dozens libraries, daycare centers and even some businesses.
Here's how to check if your child's school is closed
There's an easy way to track school closings across the state from public schools to private schools to daycares and more. The Emergency Closing Center lists closures of Chicago-area schools, businesses, daycare centers and other organizations.
Go here to find the full list of Chicago school closings.
You can also navigate to the list from the NBC Chicago homepage menu, under the "weather" section, click on "school closings."
Are Chicago Public Schools Closed?
As of 4:30 a.m., a message posted to the Chicago Public Schools website said the following:
"CPS is currently monitoring the weather situation. Reminder: CPS schools are open unless the District communicates otherwise."
Latest information on the Chicago snowstorm
You can find our latest stories on the Chicago snowstorm below:
- Live snow radar map: Track weather near you as storm snarls Chicago area
- Snow totals: Latest snow totals in Chicago and Illinois as snowfall as continues
- Illinois winter road conditions: Buses rerouted, crashes reported and more
- School closures: Hundreds of Chicago-area schools, libraries closed amid winter storm
- Power outages: Tens of thousands of ComEd customers without power amid winter storm
