Winter Storm Bella Sweeps Midwest

O'Hare Airport, the city's official recording station, was hit with 11.2 inches of snow between Friday night and Saturday, with seven inches on Saturday alone. "I was here at 5 a.m. but not much of the snow was sticking".

The snow storm over the Chicago area began winding down by 9 p.m. local time (10 p.m. ET), according to The Weather Channel.

Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Nathan Ludwig said troopers in northern and western Iowa were seeing many cars in ditches, especially near Mason City and Council Bluffs, the Des Moines Register reported. Parts of northern Minnesota saw flurries and braced for their first light snows.

Indiana's northernmost counties are forecast to receive 6 to 8 inches of snow, but weather service meteorologist Evan Bentley says Indiana's heaviest accumulation by late morning was 3 inches near South Bend's airport.

Utility company ComEd says it is increasing staffing to make sure crews are ready to respond to power outages. In Lake and Porter counties in IN, the Winter Storm Warning has been extended until 6 p.m. Saturday. The airport had 4 inches of snow early Saturday. The weather service says rain and snow in the early evening will turn into wet snow through Saturday afternoon. Areas to the west and north of Chicago were hardest hit with 12 inches or greater - topped by 18.5 inches in Capron, just east of Rockford.

The season's first major snowfall meant digging out for many but was greeted with aplomb by others. The National Weather Service said the snow would continue in IL and in on Saturday, as well as move into MI before heading northeast into Canada late Saturday. He says tractor-trailers are pulling off slow-moving interstates to park for the day. Accident totals weren't immediately available.

The first significant snowstorm of the season blanketed a few parts of the Midwest with more than a foot of snow and more was on the way Saturday, creating hazardous travel conditions and flight delays.

Storm warnings and advisories were issued throughout northern IN and Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Up to 8 inches of snow is expected in the southeast along with winds gusting to 20 miles per hour, reducing visibilities to less than a mile.

Heavy weekend snow - up to 10 inches - is in the forecast for MI, Wisconsin and northern IL.