Wintry weather hasn’t really been an issue in the Chicago area in recent weeks, but snowfall Wednesday morning could heavily impact the morning commute, and could provide the first substantial accumulations of snow most places have seen since Christmas.
A winter weather advisory now covers all of northern Illinois and northwest Indiana, according to the National Weather Service. The heaviest snow is expected to fall on areas close to Lake Michigan, though higher accumulations are possible in central Illinois and central Indiana as the storm system moves through.
In terms of timing, snow isn’t expected to really start falling until after midnight in southern portions of the NBC 5 viewing area, and the system will build into the Chicago area by 4 a.m. Wednesday.
During that window between 4-and-8 a.m., an inch of snow could potentially fall in most locations, with Iroquois County in Illinois, as well as Newton and Jasper counties in Indiana, seeing a bit more in the way of accumulation.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
According to the National Weather Service, the heaviest snowfall amounts are likely to occur between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. Wednesday across the area.
While Chicago’s northern and northwestern suburbs will likely see less than an inch of accumulation during that time, other areas will be hit quite a bit harder. Most of the southern and southwestern suburban areas, including LaSalle, Kendall, Will and Kankakee counties, will likely see anywhere from 1-to-2 inches of snow during that time, with hazardous road conditions expected.
Local
Areas nearer the city, and therefore nearer Lake Michigan, could see slightly higher accumulations, with two inches or so potentially falling in DuPage and Cook counties.
Indiana could be hit harder, with 1-to-3 inches of snow possible during that four-hour period in Lake and Porter counties. Finally, 2-to-4 inches of snow could fall in Newton and Jasper counties, officials say, with heavier totals expected the further south one travels in that area.
After that, snow will slowly start to taper off, with accumulations of 1-to-2 inches still possible through 8 p.m. Wednesday, according to NWS officials.
Stay tuned to NBC 5 Chicago for the latest details on the coming snowfall.
