Chicago, Detroit to be battered with up to a foot of snow
The worst will hit during Friday morning rush
A winter storm bearing down on the Upper Midwest is expected to dump up to a foot of snow across the region through the day on Friday.
Chicago and Detroit are in the cross hairs of the storm, and widespread flight delays and cancellations are expected at both cities’ airports.
Airlines already were canceling flights on Thursday for Friday. Nationwide, hundreds of flights had been scrubbed.
Ripple-effect flight delays, changes and cancellations could occur across the nation as crew and aircraft are displaced because of the effect on the major airports at Chicago and Detroit, AccuWeather warned.
Winter storm watches and warnings were in effect Thursday all the way from Montana to Michigan.
The heavy snowfall also is expected to clog streets and highways in the Interstate 80, 90 and 94 corridors in the Midwest, AccuWeather said.
In the Chicago area, the most significant snowfall is expected for the Fridaymorning rush. The snow should taper off by Friday evening.
The National Weather Service said travel “will be difficult to impossible at times.”
The heaviest snow will be in a relatively narrow band across mainly northern Illinois and southern Michigan. About 50 miles could be the difference between a foot of snow and very little to nothing, the weather service said.
Snow also is expected later Friday in northern Ohio, western Pennsylvania and western New York.
The Weather Channel has named the storm Winter Storm Mateo.
The heaviest snow will be in a relatively narrow band. About 50 miles could be the difference between a foot of snow and very little to nothing.