Chicago is preparing for its biggest snowfall of the season as a winter storm arrives on Wednesday afternoon. The National Weather Service predicts that the metro area will see between 4 to 7 inches of snow.
A winter storm watch has been issued for parts of Illinois and northwest Indiana from Wednesday morning to late Wednesday night. Weather experts warn that snowfall could exceed 6 inches, with snow falling at a rate of about an inch per hour.
Kevin Doom, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, stated that the heaviest snow would come late Wednesday afternoon and continue into the evening. “This looks like Chicago’s most significant snowfall of the season,” he said.
The storm is expected to make travel difficult. Doom advised people to prepare in advance and allow extra time for travel since the snow will be heaviest during the evening rush hour.
The snowfall will slow down overnight, but another storm system could bring several more inches of snow between Friday and Saturday. Some areas might see a mix of rain and snow on Saturday, but most of the precipitation will be snow.
As the storm moves in, temperatures will drop. On Thursday, highs will be between 15 and 20 degrees, and nighttime temperatures will fall close to zero. By Sunday, temperatures will remain in the 20s, accompanied by strong winds.
Even though this storm is the biggest so far this season, it is not unusual for Chicago to experience a storm of this size once a year. Doom explained that January and February are the snowiest months, so this storm is happening right on schedule.
So far this winter, Chicago has only received 10 inches of snow, which is much lower than the usual 24.7 inches for this time of year. Last winter was one of the city’s warmest on record, with a total snowfall of just 22.2 inches, far below the average of 38.4 inches. One of the largest storms last season didn’t happen until late March, when 9 inches of snow fell near the Illinois-Wisconsin border, but the city itself saw less accumulation.
Looking ahead, there are no major snowstorms expected after this week, but that could change. Doom mentioned that there might be another storm system on Tuesday, but nothing significant is predicted for the rest of the month. However, Chicago could still see more big snowstorms over the next couple of months.
