More than 1,000 flights canceled as city braces for snowstorm

More than 1,000 flights have been cancelled as Chicago prepares for up to 8 inches of snow by Sunday night.

Sunday evening, 899 flights were canceled at O’Hare International Airport and 170 flights had been canceled at Midway International Airport, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation. Average delays at both airports were running about 15 minutes.

By midnight Saturday, about 2.7 inches of snow fell on the city, according to the National Weather Service.

Snow is expected to continue through late Sunday, possibly bringing another 4 to 9 inches on top of what fell Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Heavier accumulations are predicted in the suburbs, especially farther north.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said residents should take precautions from the snow and cold, urging them to call 3-1-1 if they have insufficient heat or need to visit one of the city’s six warming centers. Here’s a list of suburban Cook County warming centers.

“We want residents to know city departments are prepared to assist those needing well-being checks, snow removal and other cold-weather services,” Emanuel said at a press conference Saturday. “We ask Chicagoans to do their part and shovel sidewalks and help out by checking in on family, friends and neighbors during extremely cold or snowy weather.”

The Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation manages over 9,400 lane miles of roadway and maintains a fleet of over 300 snow vehicles, including 20 new trucks that have been serviced and staged in anticipation of the first snow fall. The city has about 374,000 tons of salt stationed at salt piles throughout the city.

“The department will work as quickly and efficiently as possible to clear the roadways,” Commissioner Charles L. Williams said. “We encourage all motorists to drive according to conditions.”

Chicagoans can monitor the city’s snow plows in real time on the Plow Tracker.

Outside the city, areas south of Interstate 80 have lower predicted snowfall totals but could see a mix of rain and snow on Sunday, creating potentially slushy roads, the weather service said. Snowy roads and reduced visibility could make travel hazardous throughout the region.

Metra said crews were being sent out to shovel snow and salt platforms at stations, in addition to keeping signal/switch maintainers staffed at key locations to keep switches free of ice and snow. Chicago Transit Authority personnel are also clearing snow from tracks.

As temperatures drop over the next week, local officials note Chicago’s heat ordinance, which requires landlords to supply heat to rental units during cold weather months. From Sept. 15 through June 1, the temperature inside a rental residence is required to be at least 68 degrees from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and at least 66 degrees from 10:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Renters may contact 3-1-1 operators to file a heat complaint, which will signal an inspector from the Chicago Department of Buildings. Landlords face fines of up to $500 per day per violation for each day they do not supply adequate heat. The reason for lack of heat does not matter.

The Chicago Fire Department does not recommended using space heaters; however, if used, they should be UL certified and at least 3 feet from anything that can ignite. Use of a space heater in children’s rooms should be monitored closely as children sometimes move them close to or into the bed with tragic results. If extension cords are used, they should be rated at 15 amps minimum and never put cords under carpet.

Fire officials note that Chicago residents are required to have working detectors to protect against carbon monoxide leaks from a heating system that could be fatal over time.

Contributing: Associated Press