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Winter Storm Warning: Eight Inches Of Snow Possible

UPDATED: 2/17/2014 3:51 p.m.

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The historic winter of 2013-14 continues as a Winter Storm Warning has been issued for the Chicago area on Monday.

The snow started Monday morning, but the heaviest snow will fall Monday afternoon and early Monday evening. Most of the Chicago area will get four to eight inches. There is the potential for 10 inches in some locations.

During the most intense phase of the storm a "crippling" 2-3 inches per hour is possible this afternoon. There is also the potential for thundersnow, CBS 2's Megan Glaros reports. Strong southeast winds will also create blowing and drifting.

Areas to the south of Chicago will get three to seven inches.

More than 1000 flights have been canceled at Chicago airports in advance of today's storm, with 270 flights canceled at Midway and more than 770 at O'Hare.

If O'Hare International Airport gets six inches, the winter of 2013-2014 will rank as the fourth snowiest all time.

So far this season, Chicago has gotten 62.8 inches of snow, which ranks No. 3 all time to this point in a winter season, according to statistics kept by the National Weather Service.

Saturday's inch of snow marked the fifth-straight Saturday with measurable snow. It has snowed seven of the past 10 Saturdays.

The amount of snow still on the ground is also in historic territory.

Only 12 times since 1885 has Chicago had a snow depth of 9 inches or more at this point in the season. The most was 22 inches in 1979 and the average is 2.3 inches.

RANK SNOW THROUGH FEB 16 WINTER
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1) 81.1 IN. 1978-1979
2) 73.1 IN. 1977-1978
3) 62.8 IN. 2013-2014

The average snowfall in a season is 38 inches. At this point last year, Chicago only had 10.7 inches of total snowfall.

RANK TOTAL SNOW WINTER
-------------------------------------------
1) 89.7 IN. 1978-1979
2) 82.3 IN. 1977-1978
3) 77.0 IN. 1969-1970
4) 68.4 IN. 1966-1967
5) 66.4 IN. 1951-1952
6) 64.1 IN. 1917-1918
7) 62.8 IN. 2013-2014
8) 60.3 IN. 2007-2008

The first band of snow moved through quickly on Monday morning, with the heavier snow hitting around midday.

In west suburban Naperville, city officials expect it will take about 16 hours for crews to clear the streets from this storm. Naperville has used 18,000 tons of salt this winter, and has recently restocked its supply.

This year has also been incredibly cold, with 22 days below zero. The record is 25, set in 1884-85.

SEASON NUMBER OF SUBZERO LOWS
---------------------------------------
1) 1884-85: 25
2) 1935-36,62-63: 24
4) 1981-82, 2013-14: 22
6) 1874-75, 1887-88, 1978-79: 21
9) 1872-73: 19
10)1886-87, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86: 18

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