A winter storm will begin to coat Chicago, Illinois, and the neighboring area with one inch of snow per hour Friday night into Saturday.
The northeastern part of Illinois is under a level four winter storm threat from the National Weather Service. According to the federal agency, this storm will result in reduced visibility, snow-covered roads and runways, and hazardous travel conditions.
“Peak travel impacts are expected during daylight hours on Saturday,” the Chicago NWS division wrote on X. “Consider altering any travel plans originally scheduled for Saturday.”
This level of winter storm threat is expected to result in “considerable disruptions to daily life,” according to the NWS website. The agency recommends “avoid travel if possible” when any storm reaches this level.
By Friday afternoon, over 100 flights were delayed in and out of Chicago O’Hare International Airport, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Another 27 flights were canceled on Friday. As of Friday afternoon, no flights have been canceled for Saturday.
THANKSGIVING 2025: BEST AND WORST TIMES TO TRAVEL FOR THE HOLIDAY
Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel days of the year, according to the Transportation Security Administration. Last year, the Wednesdays and Fridays before the holiday saw more than 2.7 million passengers. Additionally, the Sunday following Thanksgiving in 2024 set a record with more than 3 million passengers.
TSA has yet to release the number of passengers that traveled this year.
