Holiday travelers counting on weather to let up Sunday

As problematic as today's snowstorm is for drivers and air passengers, the multitude of travelers who will be trying to get home Sunday from the long holiday weekend are counting on a dramatic improvement.

Of the two-week holiday travel period around Christmas and New Year's, Sunday's expected traffic at O'Hare Airport is traditionally the highest -- with 190,000 passengers expected to pass through the airport.

That's why the forecasted tapering off of snow late Saturday into early Sunday is so important, Chicago Department of Aviation spokesman Greg Cunningham said.

Saturday's snowfall in Chicago and along the East Coast caused more than 300 flights into and out of O'Hare to be canceled so far; and average delays of 90 minutes on uncanceled flights.

Midway Airport also experienced some cancellations Saturday and average delays of 60 minutes or more.

Cunningham emphasized that passengers should continue to call ahead Sunday to learn the status of their flights before arriving at the airport.

Snow removal equipment at the airports stands ready for another busy day if necessary, but can do only so much so quickly, Cunningham said.

Tollway traffic in the greater Chicago area also suffered Saturday, not from delays as much as minor accidents, Illinois State Police District 15 Master Sgt. Steve LeGrand said.

"It's terrible," he said. "We're not getting a lot of injury crashes, which is the good news, but a lot of people are driving into the ditch."

Interstates 88 and 90 were the worst Saturday afternoon, while I-294 and I-355 were faring somewhat better.

Nevertheless, at 4 p.m. Saturday, state police were responding to 12 accidents simultaneously on the 286 miles of District 15's jurisdiction.

Traffic on the tollways was heavier than expected for a snowy Saturday on the day after Christmas, but Sunday's levels are expected to be much, much higher as holiday travelers return home for work on Monday, LeGrand said.

"We're just hoping that the snow tapers off," he said.

Other state routes were handling the snow better Saturday, but officers in those districts were reluctant to predict Sunday's weather or traffic levels.

The National Weather Service in Romeoville forecasted a 50 percent chance of light snow Sunday, particularly south of the city. This comes in sharp contrast to the 6 to 14 inches of accumulation forecast for the North and West suburbs and 3 to 6 inches for the city and South suburbs on Saturday.

Having kept up with Saturday's snowfall pretty well, highway crews in Lake and McHenry counties believed Sunday's levels would be even more manageable.

"Right now, if the weather follows the forecast it looks like we will be all right," Lake County Division of Transportation Shift Supervisor Paul Serzynski said. "If it stops by 9 p.m. (Saturday), we do not anticipate having any major difficulties by Sunday morning."

Mark DeVries, maintenance superintendent for the McHenry County Division of Transportation, said his crews were well on top of the weekend's snowfall despite the short notice of its particularly high levels.

"I don't think anyone saw this happening," DeVries said. "But you have to be adjustable and ready for change."

• Daily Herald staff writers Tony Gordon and Chuck Keeshan contributed to this report.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Related links</h2> <ul class="moreWeb"> <li><a href="http://www.accuweather.com/forecast-details.asp?partner=9612&traveler=0&zipcode=60666&metric=0&fday=1" class="mediaItem">Latest Forecast</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/" class="mediaItem">National Weather Service outlook</a></li> <li><a href="http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid=lot&product=N0R&overlay=11101111&loop=no" class="mediaItem">National Weather Service radar</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.flychicago.com/fidsohare/default.asp" class="mediaItem">O'Hare flight information</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.flychicago.com/fidsmidway/default.asp" class="mediaItem">Midway flight information</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.metrarail.com/Service_Updates/" class="mediaItem">Metra service advisories</a></li> <li><a href="http://wrc.gettingaroundillinois.com/winterroadconditions" class="mediaItem">Road conditions</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.gcmtravel.com/gcm/maps_chicago.jsp" class="mediaItem">Traffic conditions</a></li> <li><a href="http://63.135.96.26/water_level/main.cfm" class="mediaItem">Fox River and Chain o' Lakes water levels </span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>