The National Weather Service (NWS, for its acronym in English) issued a winter storm warning for McHenry, Lake (Illinois), Winnebago, Boone and Ogle counties effective between 4 am and 1 pm this Saturday.
Under this advisory, heavy snow is expected with snow accumulations of 5 to 8 inches of snow. Additionally, winds are anticipated from the north and northwest with gusts up to 35 miles per hour.
For those planning to head out on Saturday in some of these counties, the NWS warns that roads may be covered in snow and it could make driving difficult. The combination of sleet and strong winds could even result in falling trees and some sporadic power outages.
A winter weather warning was issued for parts of the Chicago area Saturday as a system threatens to bring flurries of heavy and potentially piling snow to many this weekend.
The advisory begins at 4 a.m. Saturday and continues through 1 p.m. for McHenry, Lake, DeKalb and Kane counties.
The advisory warns of snow totals of between 4 and 7 inches for Lake and McHenry counties, with some locations possibly seeing even higher amounts. At DeKalb and Kane, totals are expected to reach between 2 and 5 inches.
Conditions are likely to create hazardous travel conditions as untreated roads become covered in slush and snow rates peak at 1 to 1.5 inches per hour, particularly overnight and early morning.
Areas outside of these regions will likely see little to no buildup, according to El Tiempo Primera Alerta and NBC 5 Storm Team.
Along Interstate 88, 1 to 3 inches of snow is possible, while the south and southeast areas will likely see a “muddy layer,” reports Alicia Roman, a meteorologist with NBC 5 Storm Team.
The rain is expected to begin turning to snow between Friday night and Saturday morning.
“Several inches of snow accumulation possible in parts of far northern Illinois. Be careful if you find snow on roads tonight and tomorrow,” the National Weather Service tweeted Friday morning.
The snow is expected to end in the afternoon hours, but the cooler temperatures on Saturday will be short-lived.
Saturday’s highs will likely sit in the high 30s, before returning to the 40s by Sunday and the 50s by the start of the work week.
Sunday also marks the start of the annual Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K run in Chicago. Fortunately for runners, the warmer temperatures will be combined with mostly sunny skies, Roman said.
