Snowstorm batters parts of Midwest, 100s of flights canceled

A wintry storm is battering much of the Midwest early Monday, bringing blizzard-like conditions that have grounded hundreds of flights and closed major highways at the end of the Thanksgiving weekend.

The Chicago Department of Aviation reported early Monday that average departure delays at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport are 77 minutes, and the flight-tracking website FlightAware reported that more than 350 flights headed to or from the U.S. were canceled.

Heavy snow was expected to continue through the early hours of Monday with up to a foot of snow expected in Chicago, including wind gusts of up to 50 mph likely to cause whiteout conditions, according to The National Weather Service.

Parts of southeastern Wisconsin, just north of Chicago, suffered a glancing blow from the storm, with about 9 inches of blowing and drifting snow.

Forecasters predict more than a foot of snow is likely in southeast Nebraska, northeast Kansas, northwest Missouri and southwest Iowa. Downed tree limbs and power lines will continue to cause power outages.

In Kansas, a large stretch of Interstate 70, spanning much of the state, was closed between Junction City and WaKeeney on Sunday, and Gov. Jeff Colyer declared a state of emergency.

Separately, a portion of Interstate 29 was shut down due to heavy snow in Missouri, near the Iowa border.

Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories are in effect from central Missouri into eastern Michigan.