Chicago weather: Waves of snow expected, with slick roads leading to crashes, spin-outs

Snow-covered roads were creating slick and slippery conditions for Friday’s rush-hour commute in the Chicago area, and more snow is expected to fall as the morning progresses, the NBC 5 storm team said.

Friday morning’s snowfall comes after Chicago-area counties saw snow periods and freezing drizzle overnight, said NBC 5 meteorologist Alicia Roman. By Friday morning, more snow showers could lead to up to an inch or two of new accumulation, the National Weather Service said.

“Allow additional time to reach your destination and additional distance between other vehicles,” the NWS said of Illinois road conditions.

Around 6 a.m., NBC 5 traffic reporter Kye Martin mentioned several crashes and skids in Chicago and on suburban roads and highways.

Early Friday morning, parts of Kane, Kendall and Cook counties were experiencing heavier snowfall, Roman said. In Will County, periods of freezing rain or drizzle were expected.

Just across the Wisconsin border, in Kenosha and Racine counties, a winter weather advisory was in effect, until 12 pm Friday, where one to two inches of snow could fall. In West Michigan, some schools were reportedly closed due to the weather.

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By 10 a.m. Friday, the snow will be gone in most areas, Roman said. But around 2 p.m., a plume of lake-effect snow will move across parts of Lake, Cook and Will counties before moving east, Roman said.

Later Friday night in northwest Indiana, heavy snow was expected to continue falling, with an additional five centimeters possible in and around Valparaiso, the NWS said.

Winds will also increase on Friday, Roman said, with gusts up to 35 miles per hour. Temperatures were expected to remain stable around 30 degrees, Roman said.

On Saturday, there was colder air, with highs in the 20s. Sunday would be milder, with temperatures around 30 degrees.

While a system on Monday was expected to bring a mix of rain and snow to the area, forecast models now show much of the area will be dry, Roman said.

The dry weather continues on Tuesday, around Christmas Eve, Román said. But the same cannot be said for Christmas Day.

“Christmas morning, it looks like Christmas rain,” Roman said, and rain is expected during the afternoon.

High temperatures on Christmas were expected to reach 42 degrees, with temperatures nearing 50 at the end of Christmas week.

How much snow could we get?

Much of the Chicago area could see between one and three inches of snow on Friday, Roman said. In northwest Indiana, higher accumulations could occur thanks to lake effect snow.