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In an extraordinary turn of winter events, a weekend storm swept through Chicago and Rockford, setting new records for snowfall, as confirmed by the National Weather Service.
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As the snow piled up, a Winter Weather Advisory remained in place until midday Sunday, cautioning residents about the potential for blowing snow and hazardous, slick roads. This advisory came as a timely reminder for drivers to exercise extra caution.
Sunday morning presented further challenges as areas in Northwest Indiana faced the prospect of lake-effect snow, with forecasts predicting an additional 1 to 2 inches of accumulation.
Unprecedented snowfall levels were recorded at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, where Saturday’s 8.4 inches marked the snowiest November day in the city’s documented history. This impressive statistic underscores the severity of the storm’s impact.
Elsewhere in the region, Wadsworth was buried under 11 inches of snow, while Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Skokie, and Valparaiso in Indiana each reported totals approaching 10 inches, further illustrating the storm’s widespread reach and intensity.
ABC7 meteorologists are tracking the next chance of snow for the evening commute on Monday.
A widespread 1 to 3 inches of snow are forecast for Monday between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Holiday Travel Impact
The storm led to hundreds of canceled flights and car crashes, including a 45-vehicle pileup on one Indiana highway, amid the post-Thanksgiving travel rush.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport was the most weather-impacted airport by far, with over 930 cancellations and over 750 delays as of Saturday afternoon. Flights leaving to O’Hare are delayed an average of five hours due to snow and ice, according to the FAA.
Chicago Midway International Airport had 187 cancellations and 85 delays. Both airports were also issued ground stops.
READ ALSO | Hundreds of flights canceled in Chicago after winter storm
Overall, more than 1,400 flights across the country were canceled Saturday, with the majority due to weather hitting the upper Midwest, according to FlightAware.
In Putnamville, Indiana, south of Indianapolis, state authorities said heavy snow caused a chain-reaction crash on Interstate 70 involving 45 vehicles, according to the Indiana State Police Department. No major injuries were caused by the pileup, which temporarily closed the interstate.
READ MORE | 45 vehicle crash shuts down part of I-70 in Indiana amid winter storm
Tim the brown bear rolled around in snow on Saturday as fresh snow blanketed Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.
The snowfall didn’t seem to bother a bison in the zoo.
ABC News contributed to this report.