More than 1,100 flights canceled at Chicago airports amid major winter storm

CHICAGO (CBS)-- More than 1,100 flights have been cancelled at Chicago's airports as a major winter storm hits the area. 

As of 6:30 p.m., Friday, 853 flights were canceled at O'Hare International Airport, and 279 were canceled at Midway International Airport.  

More than 650 Chicago flights have been delayed in the past 24 hours.  

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect until noon on Saturday. The major winter storm is expected to bring heavy snow and strong winds to the area, which will lead to hazardous travel and possible blizzard conditions.

Several suburbs had received 4 or more inches of snow by the early afternoon, while amounts were much lower in the city, where snow had switched to mostly rain, but as temperatures drop later in the day, another round of heavy snow is expected. Totals could reach 4-6 inches in the city and 6-12 inches in the suburbs, with the heaviest amounts in the far west and far northern suburbs.

A ground stop was implemented at O'Hare for part of Friday morning, temporarily halting all incoming flights at their originating airports. That ground stop was later shifted to a ground delay, to limit flights into O'Hare during the storm, but by Friday afternoon, the ground delay also had been lifted.

Altogether, about 40 percent of all departures were canceled at O'Hare Friday, while 60 percent were canceled at Midway.

Despite the hundreds of cancellations Friday, Terminal 1 at O'Hare was not looking bad late Friday afternoon. Most of the people we talked to had been getting out on their flights.

But we spoke with a couple of passengers who were scrambling to book hotels Friday night after their flights were delayed.

James Whitfield said he was trying to get a hotel room – knowing he would not be flying out Friday night. 

"My flight is tomorrow," said Whitfield, who is traveling to Greensboro, North Carolina. "It's been canceled today, and it was canceled last night.:"

Was he prepared for such a thing?

"No," Whitfield said. "Absolutely not."

Ursula Mitchell ran into trouble with her flights Friday too.

"I had to rearrange my flight itinerary to United," said Mitchell. "I'm only going from here to Atlanta, but I need to get from Atlanta to DFW."

Asher Van Dyke and Kenneth Kearns were waiting to find out what was going to happen for their travel plans to Houston, as each said, "No one's crying yet."

"It's crazy. It's crazy," said Van Dyke. "We'll see if we get through - hopefully."

Alberto Bento's plans were also up in the air – as he didn't know whether his plane would be going up in the air or not.

"Honestly, I am scared. I don't know what's going to happen – we will see. the moment, my flight is not canceled or delayed, but we will see," said Alberto Bento, who is traveling to New York. "Hopefully, I get safe home."

Bento said he would keep an eye on conditions."I guess I will have to stay in the airport and, I don't know, watch TV - watch this channel - Channel 2!" said Bento. 

As of 4 p.m., flight delays at both O'Hare were averaging 26 minutes, Midway 15 minutes. Cold rain was falling, but conditions at the airports may change again as the rain turns to snow.