Much of the Chicago area will be under a winter storm warning as another significant snow system moves in this week, bringing the potential for several inches of snow and dangerous, "blizzard-like" travel conditions for some.
The timing and what the warning calls for will depend on where you live. Here are the latest alerts:
DeKalb, McHenry, Kane and DuPage counties: : Winter storm warning from 3 a.m. Friday to noon Saturday. Warns of accumulations in excess of 8 inches and wind gusts of up to 45 mph.
LaSalle, Kendall, southern Cook, Will and Grundy counties: Winter storm warning from 3 a.m. Friday to noon Saturday. Warns of snow accumulations higher than 6 inches and wind gusts exceeding 45 mph.
Lake (IL), northern Cook and central Cook counties: Winter storm warning from 3 a.m. Friday to noon Saturday. Warns of accumulations in excess of 8 inches, with highest totals away from the lakefront, and wind gusts of up to 45 mph.
Kenosha County, Wisconsin: Winter storm warning from 6 a.m. Friday to noon Saturday. Warns of snow accumulations between 3 and 7 inches along the lakeshore and between 6 and 11 inches inland. Wind gusts as high as 45 mph.
LaPorte County, Indiana: Winter storm warning from 9 a.m. CT Friday to 6 p.m. CT Saturday. Warns of 4-8 inches of snow and winds gusting as high as 50 mph.
Local
Kankakee County in Illinois and Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties in Indiana: Winter weather advisory from midnight Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday. Warns of snow totals between 2 and 5 inches and winds gusting up to 50 mph.
One of the largest threats with the system will be for travelers.
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"Travel could be very difficult to impossible," the storm warning states. "Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute." "
The alert warns of snow rates that could exceed 1 inch per hour at times, paired with wind gusts of up to 45 mph, particularly for Friday evening, which could mean blowing snow and "very low visibility."
Most areas will see snow moving in from the southwest during the overnight hours early Friday morning.
According to the NWS, a "burst" of heavy snow Friday morning near and north of I-80 is expected to occur, with snow falling at a rate of 1-3 inches per hour.
"A quick couple of inches are possible through 7 a.m. from a few bursts of heavy snow," NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes said.
After 7 a.m., locations south of Interstate 88 will see the snow transition to rain as precipitation across the area will likely lighten before conditions worsen later in the day.
The precipitation is expected to pick back up around or after 2 p.m. as wind gusts of 30 mph, possibly even higher, kick in.
Whether this precipitation is snow or rain or a mix of both will depend largely on temperatures, but the transition from rain to snow is expected to take place sometime between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. across the area.
Heavy snow is possible for the evening commute. The largest snowfall totals are expected to fall after 5 p.m. and into the overnight hours as temperatures continue to drop.
“Blizzard-like conditions” are possible during this window.
But what does that mean?
The definition of a blizzard is at least 35 mph wind gusts with falling or blowing snow reducing visibility to a quarter mile or less for a period of three hours.
Temperatures drop into the 20s between 10 p.m. Friday and midnight Saturday, which could lead to icy conditions. Light snow could also continue Saturday morning as feels-like temperatures drop into the single digits.
As of Thursday morning, models showed the highest snow totals will likely be in the northern part of the Chicago area, with widespread estimates ranging between 6 and 9 inches, though some locations could see up to 10 inches.
Totals get lower in the southern parts of the region, but much of the totals will depend on how far north the warm air and rain mix during the day.
Overall, area-wide totals between 5 and 7 inches are expected north of Interstate 80 and between 2 and 5 inches south of I-80.
Wind chills will drop to -20 and -30 degrees Sunday through Wednesday, with 20-30 mph wind gusts expected. These temperatures will mark the coldest days seen in the city since the end of January 2019.
The NBC 5 Storm Team is tracking this forecast as it develops. Stay tuned for updates as each system approaches.
