CHICAGO — Chicago could get battered by two snowstorms, one on top of the other, this week.
It’s not yet clear how much snow will fall on the city during the two storms, with some models predicting more than 20 inches while the National Weather Service has predicted more than 8 inches. The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook and winter storm watching, warning heavy snow during the storms could make for hazardous travel, morning and evening commutes could be impacted and there will be dangerous cold.
The snowstorms could have sharp cutoff points, with portions of northwest Chicago and Illinois seeing little snow in comparison to the South Side and northwest Indiana.
Monday will start with clouds and gradually become sunnier, warming up to a high of 31 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
Tuesday is when the first storm is expected to hit. The day will be mostly cloudy, with a high of 40 degrees, according to the weather agency. There’s a chance for rain in the afternoon and evening, with rain and snow likely 7-10 p.m. before it turns into all snow after 10 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
The winter storm watch will start Tuesday night and last into Thursday afternoon. It warns heavy snow and dangerous travel conditions are possible, with more than 6 inches of snow possible. Travel could be “difficult to impossible,” with hazardous conditions potentially impacting morning and evening commutes Wednesday and Thursday, according to the winter storm watch.
The hazardous weather outlook also warns “snow-covered roads may lead to significant travel challenges” Tuesday night to Wednesday morning, when the snow could fall heavily at times.
Wednesday will stay cold, with a high of 27 degrees expected. It’s expected to see snow from Tuesday night’s storm continue in the morning, with a break from the heaviest snowfall for a period during the day. But then the second wave of snow could hit Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
The snow will continue into Thursday morning, with the bulk of it expected to fall before 1 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. The day will be cloudy and chilly, with a high of 23 degrees. There is a limited excessive cold risk.
Friday has a slight chance for snow early in the morning, but the day will be partly sunny with an expected high temperature of 21 degrees.
Saturday is expected to be sunny, with a high of 22 degrees, while Sunday will be partly sunny and warm up to 30 degrees.
There is a limited excessive cold risk Friday and Saturday.
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