Due to a massive snowstorm that has moved into the area of Chicago, over 1,000 flights have now been cancelled and hundreds of schools have closed on Tuesday.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the winter storm is expected to bring with it an estimated 10 inches of snow to the Chicago area.

The O'Hare International Airport has canceled in excess of 850 flights because of the storm, but aren't reporting any drastic delays as of yet, according to the Aviation Department.

Over 230 flights have been canceled at Midway Airport, and Southwest Airlines has called off any flights scheduled at the respective location for between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The Tinley Park Public Library was filled with roughly two to three times its typical number of guests during the morning hours due to the hundreds of school closings that are now in effect.

Children were checking out several movies while parents were enjoying the free of charge coffee that the library offers on Tuesdays, stated Sue Bailey, the marketing and community outreach specialist of the library.

"We're seeing a lot more families, a lot more kids, than on a usual school day. It's pretty busy," she said.

The weather service had given a winter storm warning for the region from 9 a.m. until midnight. Originally, the warning was supposed to take effect at 3 a.m., but the storm was said to have approached the state of Illinois slower than it was originally anticipated to.

Forecasters are currently predicting 4 to 8 inches to fall onto the Chicago area by Tuesday night, with 10 inches a possibility in some areas, states the National Weather Services.

"The whole area's going to be hit pretty hard," said Richard Castro, a meteorologist in Romeoville, IL.

The Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation released a fleet of over 280 trucks early Tuesday morning to start salting and clearing the main streets of the city.

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