Science & Nature

Multiple Rounds of Lake Effect Snow Will Make for Hazardous Conditions in Chicago This Weekend

Temperatures are expected to nudge above 20 degrees over the weekend, but winter isn’t relaxing its grip on Chicago just yet.

Forecasters are anticipating multiple rounds of lake effect snow to dump anywhere from 3 to 6 inches of snow on portions of northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana, between Friday morning and Saturday evening.

Because lake effect systems tend to be highly localized, a distance of a few miles could mean the difference between an area receiving less than an inch of snow versus several inches, said Kevin Doom, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Case in point: Preliminary totals from Friday morning's first band of lake effect snow ranged from two-tenths of an inch measured at O'Hare Airport to 1.5 inches at Chicago's Ohio Street Beach.

(National Weather Service)

Central and southern Cook County were upgraded to a winter storm warning through midnight Friday, with a second round of lake effect snow expected to set up along the Illinois lakeshore in the early evening. It could make for a hazardous p.m. commute, with quickly deteriorating conditions, Doom said.

The system will likely swing east toward northwest Indiana late Friday and overnight. Snow rates will really kick up, he said, with the potential for white-out conditions and double-digit snow totals in areas closest to Lake Michigan. 

On Saturday, the lake effect band will swing back toward Illinois in the morning before shifting to the east again and eventually fizzling out in the evening, Doom said.

Contact Patty Wetli: [email protected]

---