Some parts of the Chicago area Thursday woke up to one or two inches of light, fresh snow, and more is on the way, especially in Northwest Indiana as another blast of wintry weather is on tap ahead of the weekend.
As of 5 a.m. Thursday, the overnight snow was beginning to move out of Northeast Illinois and into Northwest Indiana, the NBC 5 Storm Team said, where winter weather was creating areas backups, delays and slippery traffic in Porter and Lake Counties as the morning commute picked up.
And though much of Thursday is expected to remain dry, more snow will move in as early as 5 p.m. and into the overnight hours, with some parts seeing heavy, lake-effect snow continuing through Saturday.
According to NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman, some areas in Northwest Indiana could see as much as a foot of snow before the system moves out.
Here's a breakdown of the snowfall expected, weather warnings and advisories to know about, and what temperatures will look like for the next few days.
Winter storm warning, weather advisories and snow totals
Beginning at 10 p.m. Thursday, a winter storm warning will go into effect in Porter and Northern LaPorte counties in Indiana.
"Very heavy lake effect snow expected," an alert from the National Weather Service said, adding that total snow accumulations in excess of six inches is likely in northeastern Porter County, with potentially lower totals to the south.
Additionally, winds gusting as high as 30-40 miles per hour can be expected, leading to blowing snow and "dangerous" driving conditions.
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"For northeast Porter County, travel is expected to become extremely dangerous, if not impossible in spots late
tonight into Friday morning," the NWS warned, saying that snowfall rates of 2 or more inches or snow per hour were likely.
"This, combined with wind gusts to 40 mph, will lead to pure whiteout conditions," the NWS said. "Unnecessary travel should be avoided over northeast Porter County late tonight and Friday morning."
In Northern LaPorte and Southwestern Berrien Counties, heavy lake effect snow is also expected, with total snow accumulations up to a foot or more, Roman said.
In Northeast Illinois, a winter weather advisory will go into effect for the entire Chicago area 6 p.m. Thursday, continuing though 12 p.m. Friday afternoon.
In those parts between 1 and 4 inches of snow is expected, Roman said.
To the south, flooding due to ice jams continue to threaten areas around the Kankakee River.
Snow timing
Roman said the system will begin around 5 p.m. Thursday, with more widespread snow falling around 8 p.m. and into the overnight hours.
By 5 a.m. Friday, the snow is expected to have made its way out of Northeast Illinois and into Northwest Indiana. At that time, areas near Valparaiso could begin to see heavy, wet snow that will continue throughout Northwest Indiana and Western Michigan throughout the day and into Saturday.
Temperatures
Temperatures Thursday are expected to remain in the low 20s, Roman said, with wind chills around 11 degrees. Friday and Saturday however, temperatures are expected to dip back down into the teens, with colder wind chill values close to zero, or even below.
By Sunday, more sun is expected, the NBC 5 Storm Team said, along with temperatures rising into the 20s and wind chills in the teens.
Next week looks to be even warmer, with above-average temperatures in the 30s and even the 40s, with rain in the forecast, Roman said.
Stay tuned to the NBC 5 Storm Team for all the latest news and weather information.
