Spring will officially arrive in less than two weeks, but Mother Nature has a few wintry tricks up her sleeve, as a blast of snow and mixed precipitation is expected to impact the Chicago area Thursday and into Friday.
The epicenter of the wintry weather will likely fall in communities near the Wisconsin-Illinois border, but other parts of the region will also feel an impact, with several counties under winter weather advisories through Friday morning.
Here's what we know about the arrival of the weather system, and when things will be at their worst.
Thursday Afternoon
Snow has already begun to fall in the far western and northwestern suburbs of Chicago, with minimal accumulations expected as the evening commute gets underway.
A winter weather advisory begins at 3 p.m. in McHenry and Kane counties, along with Lake, DuPage and northern Cook Counties.
An advisory has already taken effect in DeKalb County, along with Winnebago, Boone, Ogle and Lee counties.
Areas closer to Chicago will continue to see mostly cloudy conditions, with an occasional sprinkle possible in the afternoon.
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Thursday Early Evening
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As more precipitation makes its way into the area, snowfall may begin to intensify in the western suburbs after sunset, while other parts of the area will start to see more persistent rainfall.
There may be some mixed precipitation during this time as well, with temperatures beginning to allow that precipitation to transition into snow as the evening goes along.
A winter weather advisory will take effect at 6 p.m. in central Cook County, according to the National Weather Service.
Thursday Late Evening
The heaviest snowfall will get underway late this evening across the area, with the intensity picking up from west-to-east as we approach midnight.
The heaviest snow of the storm is expected to fall close to the border between Wisconsin and Illinois, with Kenosha County under a winter storm warning as a result of this weather system.
Most areas south of Interstate 80 will continue to see rain at this point, though some mixed precipitation is also possible.
Overnight Into Friday
Heavy snow is expected to continue in most areas overnight, with rain finally transitioning to a bit of snow in areas south of Chicago.
Travel during this time could be hazardous because of the rate of snowfall, as well as the cooling temperatures leading to some icy patches on untreated roadways.
Friday Morning
Snow is mostly expected to have tapered off by 7-to-8 a.m., but some scattered snow showers could stick around the area, giving one final flourish to the snowfall accumulations.
The heaviest accumulations are expected to occur near the state line, with 4-to-7 inches of snow possible north of Interstate 88.
Other areas could see anywhere from 2-to-4 inches of snow, with some locally-heavier totals possible, but those accumulations are expected to diminish as one travels further south, with the city of Chicago potentially seeing 1-to-4 inches of snow at most.
Most areas south of the city will likely see less than an inch of snow before the system departs.
Weekend Outlook
A few more chances for additional snow could emerge this weekend, with some precipitation possible on Saturday night. The best chance for snow will come on Sunday, according to forecast models, with the bulk of the accumulation once again anticipated to occur near the state line and areas north of Interstate 88.
Monday could also see some scattered snow showers across the area thanks to cooler temperatures and moisture in the atmosphere, but the latter factor won’t be quite as pronounced as it will be during Thursday and Friday’s weather system.
Stay tuned to the NBC 5 Storm Team for all the latest information on the storm, and all the latest snowfall accumulations from the National Weather Service.
