Editor's Note: Our latest snow forecast is here. Our original story continues below.
Another round of snow could dump several inches on parts of the Chicago area that already saw some accumulation this week -- and that's just the beginning of the winter blast set to hit.
While there continue to be chances for snow Friday, an even bigger system is shaping up for the weekend.
Most of the region dealt with wintery conditions Wednesday and the snowy, slick pattern continued Thursday in the form of scattered snow showers and flurries, though they didn't amount to much in accumulation.
Friday is likely to see scattered snow showers as well, the NBC 5 Storm Team says, with a 60 percent chance of precipitation.
But again, any accumulation associated with this system will remain light.
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By Saturday afternoon, forecast models show a more aggressive system is predicted to bring heavier, measurable snow back into the area -- and with it comes the colder, dropping temperatures Chicagoans have come to expect in January.
The system brings with it an 80 percent chance of heavier snowfall across northern Illinois, particularly areas north of Interstate 80, including Lake, DuPage, Kendall, Kane and northern Cook counties. But the exact track of the system remains uncertain and even small shift in its path could lead to dramatic changes in snowfall.
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Some areas on the southern end of the system could see mixed precipitation or even rain, as temperatures are likely to hover around the freezing mark south of Interstate 80.
That snow is expected to continue as the disturbance slowly slides across the area, with winds shifting back off of Lake Michigan and potentially giving the system a bit of extra fuel to boost snowfall totals.
Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, anywhere between three to five inches of snow could fall in areas north of Interstate 80, with locally-heavier totals possible in some locations. Those numbers could change in the lead-up to the event, however.
South of the interstate, snowfall totals are likely to be lighter, with one to two inches of additional accumulation possible according to current models.
Additionally, temperatures are expected to drop, with highs reaching only into the upper 20s and falling in the days following the storm.
Just in case residents thought they’d be done with the snow by Monday morning, extended forecast models are showing the possibility of yet another system driving through the Midwest on Tuesday, which could bring even more in way of accumulation to parts of the area, though much uncertainty on that system remains.
