First major snowfall knocks out power, closes schools, cancels flights
By The Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — The first major blizzard of the season left thousands of travelers stranded, kept tens of thousands of students home from school and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands to homes and businesses.
The 13.1 inches of snow that fell in McHenry County north of Chicago was the most in the region. The National Weather Service says 11.7 inches fell in Rockford — a total that shattered the record for a single day in November.
The 7.4 inches of snow at O’Hare International Airport prompted the cancellation of more than 800 flights Monday on top of the 700 cancelled Sunday. At Midway International Airport, where 4.9 inches fell, 69 flights were canceled Monday.
The Chicago Tribune reports that the storm knocked out power to 340,000 Commonwealth Edison customers. As of Monday morning, 184,000 were still without power.