O'Hare Airport issues ground delay due to weather; Chicago officials warn of black ice

Chicago-area road conditions Friday morning were slick, slippery and snow-covered, with crashes and spin-outs already reported across parts of the area and a ground stop briefly issued at Chicago O'Hare Airport due to snow and ice.

The ground stop was issued by the FAA just after 6 a.m. By 7:30 a.m., a ground delay was in effect, with photos and video from the airport showing heavy security and check-in lines, with delays up to 40 minutes.

More than three million people are expected to pass through Chicago's O'Hare and Midway Airports between Dec. 20 and Jan. 2, the Chicago Department of Aviation said. Nationally, the Transportation Security Administration expects 40 million people to pass through airports over the holidays.

The snowy Illinois road conditions come after light snow fell across Northern Illinois Thursday night, with more light-to-moderate snow expected to continue through at least 10 a.m.

As of 6:30 a.m., NBC 5 Traffic reporter Kye Martin warned of multiple slick spots on roads, with an accident on I-80 westbound, in the outbound lanes of I-94 with traffic backed up to I-57 and a rollover crash in Hanover Township. Slowdowns and backups were expected, Martin said.

In Chicago, the Office of Emergency Management and Communications warned of black ice on streets.

"The roads are slick this morning," a post from the city read on X. "Be cautious of black ice, and give yourself plenty of time to get where you need to go."

In an announcement, the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation deployed salt spreaders in response to the snow, with crews expected to work through the evening monitoring arterial streets, DuSable Lake Shore Drive, bridges and overpasses.

"Residents are urged to take caution while traveling, especially during the morning commute," the announcement said. "Please allow for extra time and drive according to conditions, leaving ample space between cars."

By 6:30 a.m. Friday, the snow was quickly pushing to the south, with areas in Lake and Cook Counties mostly dry. In Will, Kankakee Counties and in Northwest Indiana however, steady snow was falling, leading to reduced visibility, Roman said.

Just over the Wisconsin border, in Kenosha and Racine counties, a winter weather advisory was in effect, until 12 p.m. Friday, where one to two inches of snow could fall. In Western Michigan, some schools were closed due to weather, according to reports.

Snow was expected to exit most areas of Northern Illinois by around 10 a.m., Roman said. But around 2 p.m., a plume of lake effect snow around will move across parts of Lake, Cook and Will counties before it moves off to the east, Roman said.

Later Friday night in Northwest Indiana, heavy snow was expected to continue falling, with an additional two inches possible in and around Valparaiso, the NWS said.

Winds will also pick up Friday, Roman said, with gusts as high as 35 miles per hour. Temperatures were expected to stay steady in the mid 30s, Roman said.

Saturday, colder air was on tap, with highs in the 20s. Sunday would be milder, with temperatures back in the 30s.

While a system Monday was expected to bring a rain-snow mix to the area, forecast models now show much of the area will be dry, Roman said.

The dry weather continues Tuesday, for Christmas Eve, Roman said. But the same can't be said for Christmas Day.

"Christmas morning, Christmas rain it looks like," Roman said, with rain expected through the afternoon.

High temperatures on Christmas were expected to hit 42 degrees, with temperatures near 50 by the end of Christmas week.

Snow totals: How much snow could we get?

Much of the Chicago area could an additional two inches of snow Friday, Roman said. In Northwest Indiana, higher accumulations could stack up thanks to lake effect snow.

In Will County, 1.7 inches of snow was record Friday morning, the NWS said, with 2.1 inches in Winnebago. At O'Hare International Airport in Cook County, two inches of snow was reported. In Lindenhurst, snow totals were already at four inches.

In DuPage County, 2.4 inches of snow were recorded, the NWS said. In Yorkville, 1.6 inches of snow was reported.