The National Weather Service says a winter storm will bring two rounds of snow to the northern Illinois area this week with some areas possibly receiving up to a foot of snow in total.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said the winter weather is set to begin in the region Monday evening.
Residents should expect wet and accumulating snowfall.
“It may fall at a heavy clip from about 12 am Tuesday through just prior to daybreak where rates could briefly exceed 1 inch per hour, mainly for locales near and south of I-80,” the weather service said Sunday in a statement.
Accumulating snow on roadways may lead to difficult commutes and increased travel times.
Snow will persist on and off on Tuesday morning. Rates of snow are not expected to be particularly high, the NWS said.
A second round of snow will arrive mid-day Tuesday and persist through Tuesday evening into early Wednesday morning.
While precipitation is expected to change to rain up to the Interstate 55 corridor, intense snowfall is expected to the northwest, the NWS said.
Very wet “concrete” type snow is expected and will be difficult to shovel and drive in.
Forecasters say motorists and residents should be prepared for “significant winter impacts,” particularly across northwest Illinois.
A forecast from the NWS said Lake County could receive 2-3 inches on the east side of the county from Monday through Wednesday, while parts of far western Lake County could see 6-8 inches in total.
The forecast said the far eastern and southeastern parts of McHenry County could see 6-8 inches of snowfall from Monday through Wednesday, while the rest of the county could see 8-12 inches.
Small shifts in storm tracks could result in sharp changes in snow amounts, the NWS added.