Snowstorm in Midwest Causes Hazardous Conditions in NY and Chicago
A snowstorm has covered parts of the upper Midwest in almost one foot of snow today, causing school closings, hazardous traveling conditions and flight cancellations.
This winter storm has affected locations in the vicinity of the Great Lakes as well as portions of the Northeast and New England.
The blast of snow is set to taper off in Chicago later on in the day. Three inches of snow reportedly fell onto O'Hare Airport this morning, according to the National Weather Service, leaving hundreds of flights delayed or canceled.
Suburbs in the northern area of the city were reporting up to eight inches of snowfall.
The Dakotas, Iowa and Wisconsin had also been previously hit with several inches of snow thanks to the storm. Those areas caught the worst of it on Thursday.
Southern Michigan is expected to be hit with up to nine inches of snow in various parts of the state. Winter storm warnings were issued for the southern lower peninsula Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Around five to eight inches are expected to fall over other areas including the Grand Rapids, Lansing, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek.
An 18-year-old driver died during a car crash that was most likely triggered by the harsh weather conditions the storm has brought to the Kent County Tyrone Township, according to authorities in the area.
There have also been some highway accidents in the mid-Hudson Valley of New York that were caused by the snowy conditions. One of the worst of these was a tractor-trailer that jackknifed on the southbound side of the New York State Thruway.
The accident ended up blocking both southbound lanes until it was removed just before 6 a.m. this morning.
The storm has also caused schools in the Kingston and Poughkeepsie areas to close or have a delayed opening.