Snow started falling across the Chicago area Thursday, becoming heavy at times, as a winter weather advisory remained in effect.
By Thursday evening, hundreds of flights had been canceled, plows were deployed and traffic impacts were anticipated.
Here's a look at what's happening around the Chicago area:
Nearly 300 Flights Canceled at Chicago Airports
More than 300 flights were canceled Thursday evening as heavy snow blanketed portions of the Chicago area.
As of 8:24 p.m., 197 cancellations were reported at O'Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport was said to have 101 cancellations. Average delays at both airports were under 15 minutes.
Lake County Reports 'Numerous' Accidents Due to Weather
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The Lake County Department of Transportation tweeted Thursday that "numerous" accidents have been reported on the road due to weather conditions.
Officials asked that residents be careful and travel slowly should they need to be on the roads tonight.
Officials Warn of Hazardous Travel Ahead of Afternoon Commute
Several agencies in Illinois are warning about hazardous travel during a snowstorm as the entire Chicago area remains under a winter weather advisory.
The National Weather Service warned snow could become heavy Thursday afternoon and early evening, bringing total accumulations between 2 and 5 inches along with wind gusts of up to 40 mph.
The combination of strong winds and snow could create hazardous travel for afternoon and evening commute.
"Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility," the advisory warns. "The hazardous conditions will likely impact the Thursday afternoon and evening commute. Pockets of blowing snow could continue to impact the Friday morning commute."
Gov. J.B Pritzker said he directed state public safety agencies to work with state and local agencies "to ensure the appropriate resources are available as artic cold temperatures and snow takes aim on our state."
Travel should be limited, officials said, but residents were urged to call ahead of time to destinations if travel is necessary.
City officials also urged residents who must travel Thursday to pay attention to conditions and reduce speeds as well as clean off their vehicles before the extreme cold temperatures expected this weekend.
3:24 p.m.: ComEd Reports Dozens of Outages
ComEd was reported at least 28 outages affecting 88 customers as of 3:24 p.m. Thursday.
3 p.m.: More Than 200 Flights Canceled in Chicago as Snow Moves In
More than 200 flights were canceled in Chicago Thursday as a snowstorm moved into the area.
As of 3 p.m., O'Hare Airport reported 179 flight cancellations while Midway Airport had 95 canceled flights.
2 p.m. City of Chicago Deploys 200-Plus Snow Vehicles Amid Heavy Snow Fall
The Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation has deployed more than 200 snow plows and salt spreaders as heavy snow is expected to continue to fall across the area.
The Chicago area is under a winter storm advisory and hazardous road conditions are expected as sleet and snow are forecasted to continue through the day along with a drop in temperature.
DSS plans to expand from 211 snow vehicles to 287 by rush hour and will focus on Chicago’s arterial routes and Lake Show Drive, according to a press release.
1 p.m.: Live Radar of the Snowstorm Hitting the Chicago Area
Another snowstorm is hitting the Chicago area Thursday, with the entire area under a winter weather advisory warning of up to 5 inches possible in some locations.
Snow started falling in the late-morning and early afternoon hours, growing quickly in its intensity.
Track the system as it moves across the area using the live radar images here.
11 a.m.: Winter Weather Advisory Takes Effect
A winter weather advisory took effect across the Chicago area beginning at 11 a.m.
The advisory continues through noon Friday for McHenry, Lake, DeKalb, Kane, Kankakee, DuPage, Cook, LaSalle, Kendall, Grundy and Will counties in Illinois, as well as Lake, Newton, Jasper and Porter counties in Indiana.
Full forecast here.
The advisory warns snow could become heavy Thursday afternoon and early evening, bringing total accumulations between 2 and 5 inches along with wind gusts of up to 40 mph.
The combination of strong winds and snow could create hazardous travel for afternoon and evening commute.
"Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility," the advisory warns. "The hazardous conditions will likely impact the Thursday afternoon and evening commute. Pockets of blowing snow could continue to impact the Friday morning commute."
Under the weather advisory, McHenry, Lake, DeKalb, Kane, DuPage and northern and central Cook counties are all expected to see between 2 and 5 inches of accumulation.
Kankakee County in Illinois and Newton and Jasper Counties in northwest Indiana are projected to see between 3 and 5 inches, with higher amounts possible.
La Salle, Kendall, Grundy, southern Cook and Will counties in Illinois, as well as Lake and Porter counties in Indiana are forecast to see between 2 and 4 inches of accumulation, with isolated higher totals.
