Midwest Braces for Travel Chaos as Chicago Faces Snowfall Record

Travelers wait in line at a security checkpoint at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Nov. 25.

Photographer: Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP/Getty Images

A heavy blast of snow is expected to blanket Chicago and surrounding cities Saturday, setting up flight disruptions and rough driving conditions just as Thanksgiving travelers attempt to return home.

A storm system packing moisture from the Gulf is forecast to push into the US Midwest overnight Friday, dumping as much as a foot (30 centimeters) of snow across parts of Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois over a roughly 24-hour period.