Chicago Weather

Timing: What to expect and when as 2 waves of winter weather hit Chicago area

What you will see and when will depend largely on where you live

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Winter weather advisories began across the Chicago area Monday as two rounds of winter weather are expected to hit for the start of the work week.

But what you will see and when will depend largely on where you live.

Here's a look at the forecast:

Winter weather advisories

UPDATE: At 3:30 p.m., the National Weather Service issued winter weather advisories for the entire Chicago area. The below times have been adjusted to reflect this change.

McHenry and Lake counties in Illinois: A winter weather advisory is in effect through noon Tuesday. The alert warns of snow accumulations of up to 2 inches and ice accumulations around one tenth of an inch.

DeKalb, Kane, DuPage, LaSalle, Kendall, Cook and northern Will counties: Winter weather advisory in effect through 9 a.m. Tuesday. Ice accumulations of up to a quarter inch are possible in these locations.

Grundy, Kankakee, southern and eastern Will counties in Illinois and Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties in Indiana: A winter weather advisory, which has been in effect throughout the day, continues until 9 a.m. CT Tuesday. Ice accumulations of up to a quarter inch are possible in these locations.

What to expect

Round 1

According to NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alicia Roman, the system began with light, morning snow to the west, which eventually transitioned to freezing rain. Around 12 p.m. Monday, much of the region was expected to see a break in the precipitation, Roman said.

Round 2

The second wave is expected to begin around 5 p.m. Monday in the south and lifting northward with freezing rain leading to icy accumulations expected to continue.

The icy conditions are expected to continue overnight and through 9 a.m. Tuesday, with mostly rain falling between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. Tuesday.

"Plan on slippery to hazardous road conditions including during the Monday and Tuesday morning commutes," the NWS said.

Dangerous conditions and hazardous travel

The NWS warned travelers to "plan on slippery to hazardous road conditions, including during the Monday and Tuesday morning commutes."

"Tree damage and power outages may occur tonight into Tuesday morning due to the weight of ice," the alerts also stated.

Monday morning, the Lake County Sheriff's office urged drivers to use caution as some roadways were icy.

"With falling rain and below freezing temperatures, many roads are slick," the sheriff tweeted. "Please take your time during your morning commute.

A press release from the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation advised Chicago residents that salt spreaders had been deployed.

"DSS manages more than 9,400 lane miles of roadway with a fleet of salt spreaders that are fully prepared to respond to winter weather conditions when needed and salt piles located throughout the city," the release said.

Illinois State Police told NBC affiliate station WAND-TV it received reports "dozens upon dozens" of slide offs and crashes across the state as icy conditions moved in.

ComEd said it was prepared for potential power outages as it warned of ice storms in northern Illinois.

“We are positioning our crews and equipment to respond quickly and safely to any interruptions that occur from this ice storm,” David R. Perez, COO of ComEd, said in a statement. “We understand that any outage is an inconvenience to our customers, especially during winter weather systems. We have been investing in the grid to minimize the impact that storms like this have on our system, and our crews are standing by to support the 9 million people that count on us to deliver reliable electricity.”

Tuesday's commute could still be an issue, NWS warned, with the potential for lingering slick spots and even fog heading into the evening hours.

Warmer temperatures

Temperatures will hit the 30s for the first time in over a week, Roman said, with temperatures warming as the week goes on. Waves of rain will continue in the forecast through the middle of the week, Roman said.

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