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Flights Cancelled As Chicago Area Could See 5 Inches Of Snow Saturday

CHICAGO (STMW) -- Up to five inches of snow could fall in some parts of the Chicago area Saturday, causing problems for air traffic at the city's airports.

Portions of northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana, including Cook, Will, Portage and Lake (Ind.) counties, are under a winter weather advisory until 6 p.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Between two and five inches of snow are expected to fall, with the heaviest accumulation forecasted for southern parts of Cook County, according to the weather service. Up to a half inch of snow may fall every hour.

The city's full fleet of 287 snow plows and salt spreaders was deployed Saturday afternoon, along with 26 smaller four-wheel drive plows for smaller side streets, according to the Dept. of Streets and Sanitation.

More than 100 flights out of O'Hare International Airport had been cancelled as of 11 a.m., and most flights were being delayed at least 30 minutes, according to the city Dept. of Aviation.

Nearly a dozen flights were cancelled at Midway, while about two dozen flights were delayed up to 30 minutes, the department said.

The weather service warned that the snow will be wet and harder to shovel and people should "use extra caution" while shoveling.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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