( CNN ) -- Accompanied by unusually cold temperatures , snow fell late Saturday from Minnesota east to Virginia , prompting a series of warnings but few major headaches . One major storm system affected communities from Chicago , Illinois , to Raleigh , North Carolina , as many residents spent the first part of their weekend dealing with the first significant snow of the season . Throughout the East Coast , temperatures averaged about 5 to 15 degrees colder than normal , with freeze watches in effect as far south as Florida . By 7:15 p.m. , just over 5 inches of snow had fallen at Chicago 's O'Hare Airport , breaking the 1964 record for December 4 of 4.6 inches . A winter weather advisory remained in effect in the Windy City through midnight . More than 300 flights were canceled in and out of Chicago Saturday morning , the Chicago Department of Aviation said . The situation improved gradually over the course of the day , though O'Hare was still experiencing ground traffic delays -- for the planes that touch down , but are slower getting to their gates -- ranging from 16 to 30 minutes by early evening . The timing of the storm -- coming after the Friday evening rush hour , with most snow falling while people slept -- and the fact snow did n't stick to most major roads helped keep auto accidents minimal . `` It 's Chicago , it 's great , '' resident Casey Gorski told CNN affiliate WLS . `` I 've got no qualms about ( the snow ) at all . '' The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning through 7 a.m . ET Sunday for Appalachian regions of northwest North Carolina , southwest Virginia and southeast West Virginia . While the accumulating snow was expected to be fairly minor , forecasters warned of icy roads and winds gusting as strong as 45 mph . In addition , expected light snow prompted the agency to issue a winter weather advisory -- effective until 1 a.m . ET -- for parts of southern and central Virgina as well as northeast North Carolina . Residents of southern and eastern Minnesota and Wisconsin already saw considerable snow . A foot fell in Hutchinson , Minnesota , about double that in Minneapolis some 60 miles to the east , according to the National Weather Service . Madison , Wisconsin , got between 3 and 5 inches of snow Saturday , and some snow also fell in the southwest Ohio city of Cincinnati . Indianapolis also was in the storm 's path . The National Weather Service reported 3 inches had fallen and it predicted flurries in the city through Tuesday . The most snow in Indiana -- 7 inches -- accumulated 70 miles to the west in Clinton . Other cities in Indiana and Michigan are expected to be hit hard by snow in the coming days . Five to 10 inches of lake-effect snow were forecast for Valparaiso , Indiana , located about 50 miles southeast of Chicago , with Gary , Indiana , also feeling the storm 's effect . Other more eastern communities along Lake Michigan -- such as Michigan City , Indiana , and St. Joseph and Buchanan across the border in Michigan -- may get as much as 20 inches of snow by daybreak Tuesday . The National Weather Service has issued a warning for lake-effect snow for many of these areas from 8 p.m. Saturday through 6 a.m. Tuesday , predicting snow might fall at a rate of 1 to 3 inches an hour . Earlier this week , the Buffalo , New York , area , was being buried by such sustained lake-effect snow . That Wednesday through Friday storm dumped up to 3 feet of snow in a narrow band centered in Lancaster -- though locations as little as 12 miles away only got 6 to 12 inches , if not less . Forecasters are also predicting more snow this week in the region .
NEW : A winter storm warning is out for parts of North Carolina , Virginia and West Virginia . NEW : 5 inches of snow fell in Chicago and Madison , while 3 inches fell in Indianapolis . The storm 's timing , after Friday rush hour , helped minimize its impact in Chicago . Temperatures are 5 to 15 degrees colder than normal on much of the East Coast .