Tuesday morning started on a wet note, with precipitation slowing the morning commute. A Winter Weather Advisory that kicked in at 3 a.m. was allowed to expire at midday.
The precipitation began falling in parts of the Chicago area at around 3 a.m.. That continue through the morning rush hour, with areas in Lake and McHenry counties collecting between 1 to 2 inches of snow.
Slightly warmer temperatures will come later Tuesday morning, but that will turn the snow to freezing rain and sleet. The precipitation will be all rain by the afternoon hours.
Tuesday temperatures should max out in the upper 30s before dropping off to below freezing.
Wednesday and Thursday will again be described as "bitter cold" before conditions turn to the more mild side for the weekend.
Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation had more than 300 pieces of snow-fighting equipment on the roads early Tuesday. To view the fleet in realtime online, visit ChicagoShovels.org.
Chicago Transit Authority officials planned for normal weekday service for Tuesday morning, promising to dispatch operations and maintenance workers during the night and into the morning to make sure buses and trains run on schedule.
The transit agency will also deploy snowplow trains to keep tracks clear of ice and snow.
