Heavy snow, strong winds blast Midwest

CHICAGO — A powerful storm brought heavy snow and biting winds to parts of the Midwest on Wednesday, leading to mass flight cancellations at Chicago airports and school closings in several states.

The Chicago Department of Aviation said about 860 flights were canceled at O’Hare International Airport by Wednesday evening. About 310 flights at Midway International Airport have been canceled, with Southwest Airlines canceling all its remaining flights serving the airport around noon.

As the evening rush hour got underway, the National Weather Service warned the wet snow falling in Chicago, its southern suburbs and northwest Indiana could make travel very dangerous. The weather service said motorists should avoid the roadways if possible.

Northern Indiana was expected to see the heaviest snow, as powerful winds blowing off Lake Michigan could keep snow piling up past midnight and bury the area in up to 18 inches. State police said northbound lanes of Interstate 65 in northwestern Indiana were closed temporarily due to jackknifed tractor-trailers. Two counties in the area issued declarations permitting only emergency vehicles on the roads and warning violators could be ticketed.

In South Bend, in addition to slick roads and slushy sidewalks, the National Weather Service was reporting wind gusts of up 30 mph late Wednesday afternoon.

Before it was expected to it move east early today, the storm was forecast to drop up to 15 inches in Valparaiso and Gary.

In Michigan, the winds were so strong they caused the Saginaw River to swell and appear to flow backward, though it remained well below flood stage, The Bay City Times reported.

The winter weather warnings from the National Weather Service stretched southwest through all of Illinois and into Missouri, where several inches had fallen, leading to school closures and downed power lines.