Some parts of northern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin could potentially see several inches of snow accumulation on Thursday, while parts of northwest Indiana could also see freezing rain as a weather system moves into the Midwest.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for several counties that lie along US-24 in Illinois and Indiana, including Newton and Jasper counties in the NBC 5 viewing area. Livingston, Iroquois and Ford counties in Illinois are also included in that advisory, as is Benton County in Indiana.
While those areas could potentially see snow and ice accumulations on Thursday and into Friday, areas in the far northern suburbs of Chicago could see snowfall, with some locations seeing up to six inches of accumulation because of lake enhancement.
Here is the latest timeline of how the weather system is expected to impact the region.
Wednesday Night:
Some parts of the Chicago area will see lake-effect snow showers on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, especially in Lake and Cook counties.
Accumulations from those snow showers aren’t expected to amount to much, but could lead to a coating of snow that could cause some slippery driving conditions in areas near Lake Michigan. Northwest Indiana could potentially see some snowflakes as well.
Local
Thursday Morning:
The main event in terms of snowy weather is expected to get underway on Thursday morning, with widespread snow developing across northeastern Illinois and northwest Indiana.
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The area that will be most heavily impacted by the fluffy-snow will be along the Illinois-Wisconsin border, but accumulations aren’t expected to begin piling up until the afternoon.
The morning commute could be impacted by the snow, with slippery roads and some limited visibility possible.
Thursday Afternoon:
Snowfall accumulations are expected to pile up beginning in the afternoon, with some locations near the Illinois-Wisconsin border potentially seeing up to six inches of snow, according to forecast models.
Lesser-accumulations are possible in other parts of the area.
Another potential issue could arise along U.S. 24 in Illinois and Indiana, with sleet possible in Jasper and Newton counties, as well as Livingston, Ford and Iroquois counties.
Between 1-to-4 inches of snow could fall in the area, but up to one-tenth of an inch of ice is also possible as the storm pushes through.
A winter weather advisory will remain in effect in these areas through 6 a.m. Friday.
Thursday Night:
Light snow is expected to continue across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana, with some freezing rain also possible in select locations to the far south.
Friday:
Snow will eventually end early Friday morning, with some slippery conditions still possible as crews work to clear roadways and sidewalks.
The chance still exists of some lake-effect snow on Friday, but accumulations are unlikely, according to current forecast models.
The Weekend:
There is some good news on the horizon after a chaotic week, with warmer temperatures and clear conditions expected on Saturday and Sunday. The highs on both days are expected to rise into the mid-to-upper 30s in Chicago, and the weather will be a precursor to a continued warming trend that will drive highs back into the 40s next week.
