Winter’s not holding back—Chicago is bracing for yet another round of snow, just days after a record-setting storm buried the city in nearly nine inches. And this time, the forecast is calling for two to four more inches before it’s all over. But here’s where it gets tricky—flight cancellations are already piling up.
Early Monday reports from the National Weather Service warn that the next wave of winter weather is drifting in from the Midwest and will start to blanket the region by early afternoon. Meteorologist Kevin Doom explained that the snowfall will begin west of the city before spreading into Chicago proper later in the day. While the flakes will generally be light to moderate—"nothing like the other day," Doom noted—drivers might still face icy roads and slippery commutes.
Travelers are already feeling the effects. By 11:30 a.m., about 165 flights at O’Hare International Airport had been canceled, along with one at Midway. Average delays hovered near the 20-minute mark at both hubs. The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory starting at 2 p.m. that will last until the early morning hours, signaling that even modest snowfall could still cause disruptions.
Temperatures remain frigid but not extreme. Monday morning saw the mercury around 20°F, though forecasters expect a “warm-up” into the high 20s or possibly the low 30s by Monday evening into Tuesday. The good news? Winds are calm for now, meaning no brutal wind chills to compound the cold.
Saturday’s massive storm earned its place in the record books as Chicago’s snowiest November day ever. Certain parts of the city saw nearly nine inches blanketing streets and sidewalks over two days, with O’Hare recording 8.4 inches on Saturday and 0.3 more on Sunday. Midway wasn’t far behind, tallying 7.2 inches by noon Sunday. For longtime residents, that might be exciting—or exhausting—depending on how they feel about Chicago winters.
Here’s the controversial question: Is this just normal December weather in the Windy City, or a hint that winter patterns are growing more unstable? Longtime Chicagoans might call it business as usual—but others may see the repeated extremes as a worrying sign of shifting climate trends.
This remains a developing story, and more updates are expected as the system moves through. What do you think—has winter in Chicago changed compared to years past, or is this simply par for the course? Share your thoughts below.
