Airlines have canceled approximately 1,000 flights at Chicago airports due to a winter storm that could bring up to 12 inches this week according to the Associated Press. The storm is predicted to be the largest in Illinois since a blizzard in 2011 dropped 20 inches of snow.
"This will be the biggest widespread storm of the winter," National Weather Service meteorologist Amy Seeley said according to the Associated Press.
The Chicago Department of Aviation stated Tuesday, March 5, that 770 flights were canceled at O'Hare International Airport. An additional 215 flights were canceled at Midway international Airport as well according to the report.
Click here for the latest updates and forecasts on the storm.
"As snow continues to pile up and the storm generating it moves on, Planners at both Southwest and AirTran have made operational adjustments at airports across the upper Midwest and Ohio Valley, the Great Lakes, and mid-Atlantic regions," said Southwest on their website.
The storm started on March 3 in Montana according to reports, and then hit areas like Minnesota and North and South Dakota on March 4.
Schools were closed in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois where state officials cautioned people to stay off the roads in order to prevent getting stuck somewhere during the storm.
One person was killed in Wisconsin after a semi-trailer drove off a snow-covered road near Menomonie and Red Cedar River. Police are still looking for a second person, who was believed to be a passenger in the truck according to the Associated Press.
As is the case with every storm, hardware stores in Chicago made a fortunate on sales for salt and snow shovels.
"Everybody's got a little comment with every bag they're buying," said Mike McIntosh, who works at Dressel's Hardware in Oak Park just outside Chicago according to the Associated Press. "Everybody's a bit surprised, but it's good for us, we've got a lot of this stuff to move
Local workers have started to stock shelves with tools and supplies for the spring and even summer, only to find the shovels and salt they thought they'd have to hold on to until next year was still in demand thanks to the storm.
"Shoveling snow is a lot of work. It is taxing their bodies and their hearts," said Dr. David Marmor, a cardiologist at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston according to the Associated Press. "People are really testing their limits, and if they're already at high risk they are better off paying the kid across the street to do it."
City aviation officials have urged commuters to check their flight status before venturing out to try making their plane.
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