More Than a Foot of Snow Falls in Part of NW Indiana Amid Winter Storm

A short drive could be the difference between 2 or 9 inches of fresh snowfall from a massive winter storm system passing through the Chicago area Wednesday.

By 7 a.m., more than 130 schools were closed ahead of the expected near-blizzard conditions, with 680 flights canceled at Chicago's O'Hare and another 55 at Midway as snow began to fall across the area.

"The highest amounts are expected south of I-80 in Cook County and in eastern Will County," the National Weather Service said in a statement. Wednesday morning snow began as a mix of rain or sleet before it's expected to develop into heavy wet snow in the afternoon and evening hours.

Here's a look at how much snow has already fallen in some areas:

• Kankakee: 1" by 9:15 a.m.
• Bradley: 1" by 10 a.m.
• Midlothian: 1" by 11:15 a.m.
• Grant Park: 4" by 12 p.m.
• Valparaiso, IN: 3" by 12 p.m.
• Crown Point, IN: 7" by 1 p.m.
• Gary, IN: 5" by 1:15 p.m.
• Crete: 6.3" by 1:10 p.m.
• Midway: 1.5" by 2:10 p.m.
• Wheeler, IN: 6" by 2:20 p.m.
• Peotone: 5.3" by 3 p.m.
• St. John, IN: 10" by 3 p.m.
• Merrillville, IN: 8" by 3 p.m.
• Chicago Heights: 7" by 3 p.m.
• Crete: 7.8" by 3 p.m.
• Lansing: 6" by 3:40 p.m.
• Schererville, IN: 8" by 4 p.m.
• Beecher: 7" by 4 p.m.
• Portage, IN: 8" by 3:45 p.m.
• Hobart, IN: 8.5" by 4:30 p.m.
• O'Hare Airport: 1.2" by 4 p.m.
• Earl Park, IN: 11" by 4 p.m.
• Homewood: 4.5" by 4:15 p.m.
• Cedar Lake, IN: 13" by 5 p.m.
• Park Forest: 4.5" by 5:15 p.m.
• Dyer, IN: 8.8" by 5 p.m.

Projected snow totals by 12 a.m. Friday:

• Aurora: 1.9"
• Benton Harbor: 8.0"
• DeKalb: 0.9"
• DuPage: 2.0"
• Gary, IN: 5.5"
• Kankakee: 6.5"
• Midway: 3.9"
• Morris: 3.0"
• O'Hare: 2.7"
• Peru: 0.6"
• Rockford: 0.2"
• Romeoville: 3.7"
• South Bend, IN: 8.4"
• Valparaiso, IN: 7.1"
• Waukegan: 1.8"
• Wonder Lake: 0.9"