This morning, Chicagoans woke up from their Christmas hangovers to some truly miserable weather. A combination of 32-degree temperatures, wind speeds upwards of 30 miles per hour and freezing rain has glazed the city like a Krispy Kreme, and it's made stepping outside a more disheartening experience than opening a tupperware of moldy leftovers.
If you were planning on flying into or out of Chicago today, start bracing yourself for a miserable experience. As of 10:30am this morning, more than 320 flights were cancelled at O'Hare, with another 90 cancellations at Midway, according to FlightAware. With hourly weather forecasts projecting rain into the late evening tonight, you may have a better chance hitching a ride with Gus Polinski and his polka band than flying through Chicago today.
But don't despair. If you are trying to cut town today and get stuck with a cancelled flight, use the extra time to get out of the airport for a bit and warm up at one of Chicago's dozens of bars with fireplaces, or track down one of the best hot cocktails in the city. That'll be worlds better than getting drunk off of overpriced airport liquors and waiting for the weather to clear up.
250+ flights canceled at Chicago O'Hare amid icy conditions, via FlightStats: https://t.co/qfuTrSHKpR pic.twitter.com/r7qJlw0hML
— AccuWeather.com (@breakingweather) December 28, 2015