Forecasters are warning Chicago-area residents to use extreme caution on roadways Tuesday evening, as additional snowfall and increasing winds could cause hazardous driving conditions.
According to the National Weather Service, a winter storm warning has been extended until 4 a.m. Wednesday in McHenry, Lake, DeKalb, Kane and LaSalle counties in Illinois.
Those locations could see an additional 3-to-5 inches of snow before a winter storm finally moves out of the region Wednesday morning.
The rest of the counties in the Chicago area will remain under a winter weather advisory until Wednesday morning. In most of Cook and all of Will County, another 1-to-3 inches of snow are possible in areas away from Lake Michigan. In DuPage, Kendall, and Grundy counties, 2-to-4 inches of snow could fall before 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Even those areas could see serious traffic impacts, with Glen Ellyn police asking motorists to avoid St. Charles Road because of a buildup of ice:
Finally, in Kankakee County and in northwest Indiana, just one inch of additional snow is possible.
Local
Additional accumulations of 3-to-5 inches. Wind gusts as high as 40 miles per hour. 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Snowfall could be heavy at times in some locations, especially in the northern and western suburbs, with an inch or more falling per hour.
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.
Complicating matters will be the wind, which will pick up in intensity throughout the evening and into the overnight hours.
Most areas will see gusts of up to 40 miles per hour, but winds could be especially strong in Kankakee County and in parts of Northwest Indiana, with locations near the lake experiencing the worst of the wind.
That wind could not only impact tree branches and power lines that have heavy snow on them, but could also impact visibility on area roadways, as blowing snow could cause serious concerns during the evening commute and into the overnight hours.
Wednesday and Thursday nights could see additional snowfall, but Friday could bring a significant snow event back to the area, with temperatures plunging into the single digits by Sunday.
