Chicago O'Hare and Midway Airports Face Severe Disruptions from Major Winter

A powerful winter storm significantly disrupted air travel across Chicago on Saturday, leading to widespread cancellations and delays at both O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Midway International Airport (MDW). O'Hare alone reported 627 flight cancellations and 331 delays by 9:45 a.m. local time, according to FlightAware data, with the Chicago Department of Aviation noting average delays of 37 minutes as passengers contended with crowded terminals.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented a ground delay at O'Hare that extended for approximately five hours, following a brief ground stop earlier in the morning. Midway, while less affected, still recorded 76 cancellations by 9:50 a.m., representing 29% of its scheduled flights compared to 46% at O'Hare. The severe weather, expected to dump up to 10 inches of snow, also impacted ground transportation, with Illinois State Police advising caution and the National Weather Service warning of "very difficult to impossible" travel conditions.

Chicago city crews deployed over 220 salt spreaders to maintain major road arteries, including DuSable Lake Shore Drive, ensuring some level of passability. The winter storm warning for the region remained active through early Sunday, indicating continued challenges for air and ground travelers.