BLOOMINGTON - A heavier than usual snowfall blanketed Central Illinois on Saturday and high winds are expected to cause drifting and single-digit wind chill factors Sunday, but few problems were reported as of Saturday night. | Photo gallery

"It looks like it will be pretty bad in the morning (Sunday) with the heavy snow, blowing and drifting," meteorologist Chuck Schaffer of the National Weather Service, Lincoln, said Saturday night. "It definitely will feel like winter - and look like it too."

After dealing with the effects of freezing rain over the previous two weekends, Central Illinois residents seemed on Saturday to take the snowstorm in stride.

Rural roads and highways were slick and/or snow-packed in places, but plows and salt trucks were out in force. State and county police agencies reported a lot of minor accidents across the region, but reports available Saturday night indicated none of them was serious.

Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington remained operating, but Delta Connection, United Express and AirTran Airways canceled some flights late Saturday night and early this morning. That was because of problems at other airports, said Fran Strebing, the airport's deputy director of marketing.

Ameren and Corn Belt Energy Corp. reported no power outages Saturday night.

The snow gave children a reason to head for the hills with their sleds and snowboards, and the wintry backdrop added a seasonal feeling to the LeRoy's Christmas parade. Riding in the parade, Santa Claus himself declared the snow to be "just awesome."

The National Weather Service at Lincoln issued a winter storm warning Saturday after noon and left it in effect until 9 a.m. Sunday.

"It's a strong winter storm," Schaffer said. "We can expect to get on average two of this strength each winter. It's one of the stronger storms we'll get."

The last snowstorm of this strength hit the area Feb. 13, leaving about a foot of snow, Schaffer said.

More than 4.2 inches of snow was on the ground in Bloomington by 6 p.m. Saturday, and that could top 6 to 8 inches by early Sunday across Central Illinois, said Schaffer said.

Snowfall totals varied widely across the area at that time, ranging from 2 inches in Gridley and near Springfield to 3.7 inches at Lincoln and 3.8 inches at Peoria, according to weather service reports.

Winds Sunday are expect to hit 23 mph with gusts of 35 mph. Drifting is expected to be especially bad this morning, Schaffer said.

That wind chill also could make the high temperature of 24 degrees feel like 3 to 10 degrees.

Heavy snowfall was predicted from Missouri to Indiana and as far north as Interstate 80 this weekend, but freezing rain was expected closer to the Ohio River.

The weather did not keep family and friends away from Illinois State University's winter commencement ceremony in Normal.

Deb Dunlap came from Dwight for the ISU event.

"I took my time and made it here, just on time," said Dunlap.

In LeRoy, where the parade was postponed two weeks ago because of freezing rain, the snow was welcomed as a sign of the season.

"It's Christmas. The snow is great," said Bill Toohill, who marched in the parade with the Ruel Neal American Legion Post 79, LeRoy. "I had to spend one winter in Hawaii, and that just wasn't Christmas."

Before the parade began at 2 p.m., some parade participants took time to play in the snow. Members of Cub Scout Pack 50 had a snowball fight as they waited.

For people in the parade, keeping warm was a chore.

Emily Grussing, 7, of Bellflower was determined to portray the Virgin Mary on her church's float, but she left on her striped stocking hat and mittens. She also sympathized with another parade participant at the end of the parade.

"Santa has to go all over the world when it is snowing," Grussing said.

Santa, who perched on the back of a Volkswagon Beetle convertible with Mrs. Claus, was suited up for the cold, but Mrs. Claus wasn't so lucky in her traditional garb.

"I can't get too many layers under my dress," she said.

At Highland Park golf course on Bloomington's south edge, a group of youngsters were playing in the snow.

Dionte Helm, 15, and his brother, Mahlik Helm, 8, made snowballs to throw at each other, and they sledded with their cousins, Seth Devine, 15, and Larry Williams, 15, and their friend, Rico Hunter, 14.

The boys made a mound of snow at the foot of a hill at Highland to give them a bounce at the end of the run. Williams had an added challenge when his playmates lay behind the mound so he would jump over them on his snowboard.

As the boys rested at the foot of the hill, Dionte bit into a snowball.

"It tastes good," he said.

Edith Brady-Lunny, Jim Ensign and Bridget Flynn contributed to this report.