A massive winter storm is set to hammer a wide swath of the United States on Sunday and into Monday, while lake-effect snow could impact Chicago’s commute.
According to the National Weather Service, winter storm warnings are in effect for central and southern Illinois, along with central and southern Indiana, beginning Sunday evening and carrying into Monday.
Heavy snow is expected downstate, with 6-to-12 inches of snow possible in the hardest hit areas, according to the NBC 5 Storm Team.
What’s more, ice accumulations could occur in areas in southern Illinois and Indiana, which could snarl traffic for days as cold weather makes it difficult to melt ice from power lines and roadways in the region, leading Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb to activate the state’s National Guard for emergency response assistance.
As for the Chicago area, the winter storm will not impact the region, but lake-effect snow is expected to develop Sunday night and to persist into Monday morning, with winds howling down Lake Michigan and creating a large snow plume that could extend into Will and Kankakee counties in Illinois, as well as Lake and Newton counties in Indiana.
The heaviest accumulations of snow are expected in areas closer to the lake, with the city of Chicago, parts of Will and Kankakee counties, and parts of Lake, Porter and Newton counties getting up to three inches of snow before the plume shifts east, according to the NBC 5 Storm Team.
Other areas to the south of Chicago could see minor accumulations of around one inch of snow, according to forecast models.
Local
Areas west of Chicago are expected to see little-to-no snow accumulation due to the wind direction.
As for temperatures, they’ll continue to be slightly below normal, with highs in the mid-20s on Sunday, a pattern that will largely continue throughout the week. A brief dip in temperature is expected midweek, with highs in the low-20s, but then a slow warming trend will boost temperatures back toward their seasonal averages of around 30 degrees by the weekend.
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Forecasters with the NBC 5 Storm Team are monitoring another chance for accumulating snow at the end of the week, with several inches of snow possible across the Chicago area on Friday and into Saturday, depending on the ultimate track of the next storm system.
Stay tuned to the NBC 5 Storm Team for all the latest news on this weekend’s winter storm, along with live radar feeds and updated forecasts throughout the day.
