It’s time to prepare the salt for your sidewalk and your lawn chairs for parking space dibs. Chicago’s mild winter may finally deliver a pile of snow.
The winter storm is expected to hit the area Monday evening and overnight into the day on Tuesday, said Ricky Castro, National Weather Service meteorologist.
The timing of the storm is “moving a little bit slower” than originally anticipated but was still expected to bring about 6 inches of snow or more to the area.
“It’s pretty much on track,” Castro said, adding it “seems unlikely at this juncture to change.”
“Chicago, the city itself looks favorable and looks to be in the zone for the threat of 6 inches of snow, if not more,” Castro said late Saturday afternoon.
The snow later in the day Monday evening may be heavier, wet snow and then Tuesday become dry, Castro said. That could cause issues with blowing and drifting, as wind gusts from the northeast are expected to be powerful.
The region of the storm covers the area north of the Kankakee River toward the Wisconsin border. Freezing rain south of I-80 in the lower metro area is also a possibility and will likely change into snow.
Motorists should be aware that their Monday evening and Tuesday morning commutes will be “significantly impacted,” Castro said.
Additionally, flooding and high waves along Lake Michigan in Illinois and northwest Indiana are both possible, given the lake is still at historically high levels.
“If everything does come together, it definitely has the potential to be the largest snowstorm of the season,” Castro said on Friday. “It could be the largest individual storm in a few winters, but it’s too early to make a call on that.”
The season so far has only totaled 8.6 inches at O’Hare, where the official climate data is tracked. Snowfall for the season is about 8 inches below the average at this point, so this one storm could catch up the area, Castro said.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Park District closed the Lakefront Trail between Oak and Ohio streets until further notice Friday because of high waves and icy conditions, according to the Park District. Check the district’s website for updates.
People should keep an eye on trusted forecasters for updates, whether it’s the National Weather Service or other forecasters, especially because a lot of misinformation on the weather gets posted on social media during large events, Castro said.
Keep up on the latest weather news by visiting the Tribune’s weather page.
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