The Chicago area is set to see an arctic chill this weekend that could bring snow accumulation and the coldest air of the season so far.
At 7:20 p.m. on Saturday, the National Weather Service cancelled a Winter Weather Advisory for the Chicago area and northwest Indiana that was originally effective until 6 a.m. Sunday morning.
By 6 p.m. Saturday, the wintry system dropped about one to two inches of snow in areas including Cook, Will, Grundy, and Boone counties according to the National Weather Service. The NWS reported the following snow totals:
DeKalb: 2.5"
Elgin: 2.0"
Homewood: 1.5"
Elk Grove Village: 1.2"
Romeoville: 1.2"
Munster, Indiana: 1.0"
O'Hare Airport: 1.1"
Midway Airport: 1.3"
Rockford Airport: 1.2"
The Illinois Department of Transportation sent out about 350 trucks to clear roadways, according to IDOT. The city of Chicago announced it deployed more than 200 trucks to clear Lake Shore Drive and main city streets. The Indiana Department of Transportation plans to deploy about 150 snowplows across east central Indiana at midnight.
As of 5:30 p.m., inbound flight to O'Hare International Airport averaged 1 hour and 31 minutes, according to Flight Aware. Departures from the airport were delayed an average of 25 minutes. There were no reported delays at Midway International Airport.
Snow totals will be the highest in areas along I-55, possibly reaching between 3 and 5 inches in areas around Kankakee, Morris, and Romeoville. Lighter snow is expected in the western and northern suburbs, with DuPage County potentially seeing just over 2 inches.
As the storm moves east, Northwest Indiana may see lake effect snow as well. Areas including Valparaiso and Gary could see up to six inches of heavy, wet snow combined with 30 mph winds.
These conditions will make for dangerous road conditions and low visibility, so experts warn to travel only when necessary and use extreme caution, particularly when driving.
Sunday afternoon will bring clear skies, sunshine, and very cold temperatures. Highs drop to the teens and wind chill readings will be in the single digits. The chill will continue to set in overnight Sunday, with temperatures in the single digits and wind child between -5 and -15 degrees.
The cold air remains Monday with highs in the teens and below-zero wind chills. There's a chance of light snow Monday night into Tuesday, when the high is expected to be 19 degrees.
