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Passengers at O'Hare International Airport were still experiencing long delays Monday afternoon, hours after one of the largest November snowstorms ever recorded in the Chicago area.
The storm dumped up to 13 inches of snow and contributed more than 1,200 cancellations at Chicago's airports on Sunday and Monday. Delays for arrivals to O'Hare lasted an average of one and a half hours at 3:20 pm
Heavy snow also caused delays for the Metra suburban railway and roads during the morning rush hour, although conditions improved on Monday afternoon.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported that weather conditions, including high winds, caused delays at O'Hare and Northeast airports, including Boston, New Jersey and New York airports. York.
Delays on arrival at O'Hare took more than three hours, which created growing frustration for passengers waiting to return home after the Thanksgiving holiday.
Shaena Wright, 18, queued to book her flight with a group of students trying to get back to Washington, D.C.
Wright said she had already missed three courses at George Washington University after two canceled flights.
"I really need to find a flight," Wright said. "I am hysterical at this point."
Chicago Aviation Department spokeswoman Lauren Huffman said the city was able to open its parallel runs at O'Hare on Monday afternoon.
"I hope it will help," she said.
Conditions were better at Midway Airport, where delays were less than 15 minutes on average. According to the Aviation Department, only 71 flights were canceled at Midway, compared with 1,161 at O'Hare.
Signs showing departures at O'Hare were filled with cancellations in red. A snack cart was set up to appease American Airlines customers lining up.
Adrienne Forgette, 63, from Farmington, NJ, came to Chicago to visit her family. Her daughter-in-law was ordained Sunday, she said. His return flight was delayed several times and then canceled.
"It's a fairly common thing," she said, queuing to book her flight.
"It snowed so much in New Mexico two weeks ago," said Forgette, showing an inch with his fingers. "And everything has been canceled."
Metra has experienced many delays Monday on all its lines due to felled trees, cars stuck on tracks and mechanical problems. But spokesman Michael Gillis said he was not expecting big problems for the afternoon rush.
On Monday morning, the Union Pacific North line in Kenosha was hit the hardest. Several long delays were delayed, including one that took about two and a half hours for a departing train. Delays along the line were caused by a tree felled near Forest Lake, stuck in a power line, said Gillis.
Metra officials had to wait for the Commonwealth Edison teams to eliminate the damage.
Another big delay was caused by a bus accident near Metra tracks on the north central service of Prospect Heights.
By the afternoon, some delays had been reported at 3:30 pm, including a 60-minute delay on a Union Pacific Northwest Line inbound train.
Vehicles driving on the roads in the region were moving slowly because of the snow at the morning rush hour, but travel times improved over the day, said department spokesman Illinois Transportation, Guy Tridgell.
Tridgell said the highways throughout the Chicago area were "in great shape" and crews are now focusing on ramps, shoulders and other things to pay attention to.
Crews are also clearing secondary roads in areas where snow accumulations have been heaviest in Kane, McHenry, Lake, DuPage and Cook County counties, Tridgell said.
"We have staff and equipment on these sites, but motorists must plan a slower ride in the afternoon and evening, with some snow conditions planned," he said.
He warned that IDOT would have a limited number of plows to deal with the surfaces during the night, to fight against freezing and monitor the snow on the ground. Drivers must be careful.
"The public must know that plowed surfaces that appear to be free of snow and ice can still be very slippery," said Tridgell.
The OTC did not encounter any significant weather problems by train or bus, said spokesman Jonathan Kaplan.
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