Snowflakes began to fall in the city late Friday morning, a harbinger of a storm that could drop 5 to 8 inches of snow on the metropolitan area over 12 hours.
The heaviest snow is expected to hit between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., when it fall about an inch an hour, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service also warned of a "particularly treacherous commute" and significantly increased travel times for the evening rush.
Airlines at O`Hare have proactively canceled more than 300, both inbound and outbound flights, due to the incoming storm, according to the city Department of Aviation. At Midway, Southwest Airlines canceled all 70 of its flights between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. That`s about 15 percent of all Midway traffic.
Tom Skilling, WGN-TV chief meteorologist, reportedly said the storm would likely be the area`s biggest of the season, with accumulations over portions of the metro area likely to surpass the 4.9 inches that fell at O`Hare and the 6 inches that fell at Midway Airport only a week ago. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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