Freezing Rain, Snow Remains After Threat of Winter Storm Subsides

Mother Nature had a change of heart for the Chicago area as a previously threatening winter storm expected to bring heavy snowfall left only some lingering icy precipitation instead.

A Winter Storm Warning was canceled early Tuesday after being issued by the National Weather Service for Lake, McHenry and Boone counties. A Winter Weather Advisory remained for Cook, DuPage, Kane and DeKalb counties until 9 a.m. as some wet precipitation was still expected to make for a slick morning commute.

Nearly 400 flights flying in and out of Chicago Tuesday were canceled as a preemptive measure for the storm. 

An icy mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow began to fall Monday night and continued into Tuesday morning. The wet mixture will change to all snow for periodic snow showers continuing throughout the day before ending in the evening.

Another 1 to 3 inches of fresh accumulating snowfall will be possible in far northern counties, with 1 to 2 inches expected in the city, west to the Fox Valley, and an inch or less south of the I-80 corridor.

Tuesday will also be windy – gusts reaching up to 30 mph – and cold with highs in the upper 20s to low 30s.

Snow showers will diminish overnight as clouds slowly decrease in the metro area and temps fall into the teens inland.

The first week of March began with a series of weather systems. Monday felt both spring-like and winter weather, as the day was mostly sunny with warm temperatures climbing into the 50s before a fast-moving winter storm brought a sharp drop just hours later and ice precipitation began.

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