CHICAGO (WLS) — A winter weather snow storm is moving into the Chicago area Thursday, with several inches of snow forecast along with high winds and dangerous wind chills.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the entire Chicago area and northwest Indiana.
School Closings: See Full List
The warning is in effect from 9 a.m. Thursday until Saturday at 6 a.m. for DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, Grundy, Livingston and McHenry counties. For the rest of the Chicago area, the alert is in effect from noon Thursday until 6 a.m. Saturday, with the alert starting at 3 p.m. for areas in northwest Indiana.
WATCH | Latest 7-day Chicago weather forecast
ABC7 Chicago Meteorologist Tracy Butler said the storm could start moving into the western suburbs by 9 a.m., with the city seeing snow by noon and northwest Indiana by 3 p.m.
Butler said three to six inches of snow are expected from the storm, with higher amounts possible in northwest Indiana. Snow could fall at a rate of as much as an inch an hour Thursday.
Hundreds of flight cancellations at O’Hare, Midway airports from Chicago winter snow storm
One of the main hazards will be blowing snow from high winds. Butler said wind gusts of up to 50 miles-per-hour are possible.
Porter County, Indiana has a Blizzard Warning in effect from 3 p.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Saturday. Gov. Eric Holcomb has activated nearly 150 members of the National Guard to help stranded drivers as officials in Indiana and Illinois plead with people to stay off the roads.
Butler said temperatures could drop sharply Thursday, with wind chills well below zero by early Friday morning.
Meanwhile, Cook County says it’s prepared for the snow.
Sixty snow plows are on hand to both salt and clear the roads. Cook County is also deploying about 65 drivers and 16,000 tons of salt is available.
Metra will run a more limited schedule due to the weather but will have extra staffing on hand to battle the elements.
CTA said it will run trains and buses as normal on Thursday and Friday, but warned there could be delays due to the weather. Anyone who may be waiting outside for a bus is advised to bundle up.
ComEd prepares for power outages
ComEd said it is positioning people and equipment to be able to respond quickly to potential power outages.
“We are positioning our people and equipment to respond quickly and safely to any interruptions that result from this snowstorm,” said Terence Donnelly, president and COO of ComEd. “We realize that any interruption is an inconvenience to our customers, especially during the holidays. Avoiding power outages and restoring service quickly is critical. We have strengthened our system over the years to reduce the impacts a storm like this can have on our customers.”
They said they will have more than 1,800 utility workers on the system including 350 line workers from around the country to respond to any potential outages.
ComEd customers can text OUT to 26633 (COMED) to report an outage and receive restoration information as well as following ComEd on Twitter or on Facebook. Customers can also call 1-800 EDISON1 (1-800-334-7661), or report outages via the website at ComEd.com/report or use the ComEd app.
ComEd warns people never to approach a downed power line and not to approach ComEd crews to ask them about restoration times as they may be working on live electrical equipment.
What can I do if my flight is canceled, delayed? How to prepare for likely 2022 holiday travel mess
Hundreds of flights canceled:
Hundreds of flights have been canceled at O’Hare and Midway airports Thursday..
As of 4:30 a.m., 388 flights have been canceled at O’Hare Airport, with 156 flight cancellations at Midway Airport
Blizzard conditions are expected from the plains and the Midwest to the east coast, with high winds and plunging temperatures.
The delays and cancellations is only adding to the chaos at airports packed with holiday travelers.
What can I do if my flight is canceled, delayed? How to prepare for likely 2022 holiday travel mess
The roads will also be busy, as many families travel by car for the holidays.
Storm forces closures for schools and attractions
Christkindlmarket will close early due to the storm. Its downtown Chicago and Aurora locations will reduce their hours and close at 4 p.m. on Thursday, while the Wrigleyville market will be closed all day Thursday. All three markets will be closed Friday.
Lincoln Park Zoo will be closed Friday and Zoo Lights canceled due to the forecasted high winds and frigid temperatures. Anyone with tickets to ZooLights on December 23 should check their emails for more information.
The Adler Planetarium announced it would close Friday and Saturday in anticipation of the storm. It was scheduled to be closed Sunday.
Chicago Public Schools are planning to be open Thursday, but after-school activities are canceled. Friday was already a scheduled day off.
Click here to see a full list of school closures
What are criteria for a blizzard?
In order for a blizzard warning to be issued, the following conditions need to prevail for three hours or longer:
-The storm needs to have sustained wind or frequent gusts to 35 miles-per-hour or greater
-Falling and/or blowing snow reducing visibility to less than a quarter mile
Stay tuned to ABC7 Eyewitness News and ABC7Chicago.com for the latest forecast and snowfall amounts as the winter storm approaches.
Cook County Radar DuPage County Radar Will County Radar Lake County Radar (IL) Kane County Radar Northwest Indiana Radar
Copyright © 2022 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.