Storm prompts about 1,000 flight cancellations in Chicago

CHICAGO (AP) - A winter storm threatening the Chicago area with ice and snow prompted the cancellation of about 1,000 flights Saturday at Chicago's two main airports.

The Chicago Department of Aviation's online flight-tracking website showed that as of 10:30 a.m. Saturday about 950 flight cancellations were reported at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and more than 50 flights had been canceled at Midway International Airport.

Delays at O'Hare and Midway were averaging around 15 minutes, the department said.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory, flood watch and lakeshore flood warning for the Chicago metropolitan area for Saturday and a winter storm warning for adjacent areas of northwestern Illinois.

The weather service said rain, possibly mixed with snow, freezing rain and sleet was expected through Saturday afternoon in the Chicago area before changing by evening over to snow and sleet, possibly mixed with freezing rain.

Breezy conditions were forecast with gusts as high as 45 mph.