Here is the latest winter storm forecast from the NBC 5 Storm Team.
Editor's Note: The latest snow total projections can be found here. Our original story, from Thursday, Jan. 11, continues below. Note that snow projections may have changed.
A winter storm warning will go into effect overnight across the Chicago area, with heavy snow and gusty winds possible through Saturday afternoon.
The heaviest accumulations are expected north and west of Chicago, but other areas could see plenty of accumulations too, with 6-to-12 inches of snow possible across the area before the storm moves out on Saturday.
Here is the latest on what the NBC 5 Storm Team is expecting to occur in the area.
Friday Morning
The first round of snow will come with bursts of heavy snow across the area, with 3-to-6 inches of accumulation possible.
The western suburbs and areas north of Interstate 80 are expected to be hit the hardest.
DeKalb County could see 5-to-6 inches of snow, and O’Hare is projected to receive between 4 and 5 inches.
Friday Afternoon
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.
Local
Areas south of Interstate 80 will see the snow transition into rain during the late morning and early afternoon, but the precipitation is expected to transition back to snow by the late afternoon.
Winds will also start to pick up across the area, leading to the potential for blizzard-like conditions on roadways.
Final Totals Saturday
The heaviest accumulations for the totality of the storm are expected to occur north and west of the city, including a foot of snow in parts of DeKalb and Kane counties. An estimated 10 inches of snow could fall near Chicago, with 6-to-8 inches of snow south of I-80 and in northwest Indiana.
County-by-County:
McHenry, Lake Counties:
Heavy totals of 10-to-12 inches, or perhaps even more. This includes communities like Huntley, Fox Lake, Lake Zurich and Lake Forest. Lower totals near the lake.
Kane, DuPage and northern Cook Counties
DuPage County could also be hit hard, as could Kane County. Elgin, Batavia, Wheaton, Elmhurst and Westmont all could see 10-to-12 inches of snow. O’Hare is projected at just over 10 inches. Areas near the lake see significantly less.
Southern Cook and Will Counties
Snowfall totals dip a bit further south, but still could be significant. Communities like Plainfield, Manhattan and Frankfort could see 7-to-9 inches of snow.
LaSalle, Kendall and Grundy Counties
A similar story will be written in the southwestern suburbs, as snow will end earlier in these locations.
Kankakee County
A projected 6-to-8 inches of snow are still possible here, though it depends on how long it takes for the precipitation to transition to rain in the afternoon, as that could end up both lowering the overall total and lowering the amount of snow that remains on the ground.
Northwest Indiana
These areas could also see 6-to-8 inches of snow, with slightly lower snowfall totals near the lake.
Latest information on the Chicago snowstorm
You can find our latest stories on the Chicago snowstorm below:
- Live snow radar map: Track weather near you as storm snarls Chicago area
- Snow totals: Latest snow totals in Chicago and Illinois as snowfall as continues
- Illinois winter road conditions: Buses rerouted, crashes reported and more
- Power outages: Tens of thousands of ComEd customers without power amid winter storm
- Flights canceled: Ground delay at O'Hare, thousands of flights canceled across Chicago airports
- School closures: More than 100 schools closed across Illinois
