CHICAGO | A light snow dusted the Chicago area the day after a spring storm postponed a baseball game, canceled hundreds of flights at area airports and snarled traffic.
The snow was expected to taper off by early Thursday afternoon across the city and northern Illinois, said Casey Sullivan, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
Operations were normal Thursday at both O'Hare International Airport and Midway International Airports, said city aviation spokesman Gregg Cunningham.
"The weather has definitely improved today from yesterday," he said.
On Wednesday, O'Hare received 3 inches of snow, which surpassed the April 11, 1957 record for that day of 2.3 inches. Some areas of northern Illinois reported up to six inches of snow, National Weather Service meteorologist Tim Seeley said.
More than 500 arrivals and departures were canceled Wednesday at O'Hare because of poor visibility, Cunningham said. The storm also generated two-hour delays on flights.
The wintry mix postponed Wednesday's Houston Astros-Chicago Cubs game.
George Castro -- who sells coffee, doughnuts and hot dogs from his specially outfitted pickup truck in downtown Chicago -- said he takes any weather in stride.
"It's OK, it's Chicago," said Castro, spooning toppings onto a hot dog as water and slush dripped from an awning attached to his truck. "You've gotta have a little of everything."
The slick driving conditions caused some problems with spinouts Wednesday, said Mike Claffey, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Transportation.
But by Thursday, the region's highways were in good condition, he said.
"Yesterday was bad because the snow started to hit right as the rush was starting to build," Claffey said. "But we were out all night salting and plowing, so we were in much better shape this morning."
The weather likely contributed to a three-car accident late Wednesday evening on Chicago's Southeast Side that left five people recovering in area hospitals, officials said.
None of the injuries were life-threatening, said Larry Langford, a fire department spokesman.
As a precaution, 177 snow removal trucks spent three hours on Chicago's streets Thursday morning, according to Matt Smith, a spokesman for the city's streets and sanitation department.
Snow this late is not that unusual, said weather service meteorologist Andrew Krein in Chicago.
"Typically every few years we'll get some snow in April," Krein said. "Snow in April is not unheard of."
