If residents in the Chicago area thought that the winter thus far had been tame, things are about to change dramatically in the coming days.
Tuesday’s snowfall, which caused six or more inches of accumulation in some locations, is merely the beginning of the changes coming to the region, with several more rounds of snow on deck for this week.
The first will arrive late Wednesday and into Thursday, potentially causing travel impacts for the morning commute, according to forecast models.
An even more substantial system could arrive Friday and into Saturday, with the possibility of serious accumulations across the city of Chicago, the southern suburbs and into northwest Indiana.
As that system departs, another big change will take hold, as temperatures are expected to drop dramatically late Saturday and into Sunday.
In fact, readings could plunge to near zero degrees on Sunday afternoon, with wind chills dropping well below zero thanks to elevated wind gusts behind that weather system.
That pattern could remain in place for several days, with highs on Monday perhaps settling a few degrees below zero, with continued frigid wind chills.
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While it remains unclear at this point how long the cold will last, it does appear that residents should prepare for a prolonged period of below-average temperatures, according to the Climate Prediction Center.
That guidance suggests that the next 10 days could see below-average temperatures, with 90-to-100% certainty in the Chicago area:
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That cold could also come with other issues, especially with the amount of rain and melted snow the Chicago area saw on Tuesday. That could cause streams and rivers to rise, and with how rapidly temperatures are expected to drop, ice jams could develop in the area, according to the National Weather Service.
Be sure to stay with the NBC 5 Storm Team for all the latest information both on the coming snow, and the dramatic drop in temperatures.
