Snow began falling Thursday evening, with heavier snow falling near the border with Wisconsin.
ABC7 AccuWeather meteorologist Tracy Butler said between 1 to 4 inches of snow fell from overnight Thursday into Friday morning across the area.
Snow creating slick roads for commute
The conditions led to a ground stop at O'Hare Airport, which was lifted at around 7:30 a.m.
"We're well prepared for any kind of snow operations, you know, with equipment, with staffing, with salt, with the ice, to make sure that the taxiways, the runways and the roadways around the terminals are safe and that they're clear," said Karen Pride, with the Chicago Department of Aviation.
Conditions became colder and windy in the afternoon, with lake-effect snow along parks of the lakeshore in Illinois as well as in northwest Indiana.
Chicago's airports are prepared to welcome nearly 3.7 million passengers between Friday and Jan. 2.
"Taking my kids to Puerto Rico because we have to get away from this cold weather," Davita Nobles said.
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Nobles was bracing for a busy day at the airport.
"I am, but we're all set; we've got our TSA PreCheck set. Our CLEAR is approved; so, we are ready and gearing up for that," Nobles said.
Motorists were seen gassing up before hitting the roads to visit with family Friday morning.
"Spending time with my son, his wife, my daughter and her boyfriend and all my grandchildren," Chicago resident Nekenge Harris said.
Others were spotted braving the wintry weather while running errands.
"Yes, some last-minute shopping," Chicago resident Nekenge Harris said.
Snow plows and salt spreaders were working to clear the expressways. While the snowfall was short-lived, it did cause some headaches for drivers.
The heaviest holiday traffic is expected Friday, when about 1.9 million vehicles are estimated to use the Illinois Tollway system.
"Airline travel is just really high right now. But, most people do drive to their destinations, and that's true for every holiday," AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said.
The tollways were clear late Friday morning, and the snow had melted away in Chicago.
There was a Winter Weather Advisory in Waukesha, Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha until noon Friday.