Thanksgiving Weather In Chicago 2013: Bitter Cold, Snowy And Full Of Transit Delays From Eastern Storms

Just in time for the busiest travel day of the year, the Chicago area and surrounding regions are bracing for delays, transit snarls and chilly temps as the impact from harsher weather out east ripples toward the Windy City.

In the city, the CTA is running more frequent service on the Blue, Orange and Red lines and will run longer trains on the Brown, Green and Orange lines starting Wednesday afternoon to get travelers to airports and other destinations, the Sun-Times reports.

(See live updates all day long of travel delays from around the country.)

As of Wednesday morning, Chicago's O'Hare International and Midway Airports were logging only slight delays, though the number was expected to grow as stormy weather holds up flights originating from the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic.

According to AAA Chicago, 43.4 million Americans are traveling for Thanksgiving this year -- less than a 2 percent decrease from 2012. ABC Chicago reports some 2.4 million of them are expected to pass through O'Hare or Midway for Thanksgiving travel.

Most travelers nationwide will truck 60 miles or less to their holiday destination, according to AAA. And with 90 percent of travelers going by car, expect major snarls on the interstates Wednesday, the busiest travel day of the year.

The I-94 corridor through northwest Indiana (LaPorte, Lake and Porter counties) and southwest Michigan (Berrien, Van Buren) is expected to get hit with up to a foot of lake-effect snow in some areas. According to CBS Chicago, northwest Indiana can expect drifting snow, wind gusts and accumulation with "hazardous driving conditions through Wednesday evening" -- especially on the Indiana Toll Road and Highway 30.

As for Thursday, the Tribune reports temperatures won't even crack freezing, with a high of 31 degrees. The chilly temps could make for the coldest Thanksgiving since since the 27-degree turkey day in 1989.