Several inches of snow expected on Saturday – NBC Chicago

Although spring started earlier this week, the winter weather seems to last longer than one might have thought.

A winter storm warning and winter weather advisory will go into effect for parts of the Chicago area starting Saturday morning, bringing wet snow accumulation and gusty winds to northern suburban communities.

Lake and McHenry counties will likely be among the hardest hit, with a winter system dumping up to 2 inches of snow per hour and accumulations possibly exceeding 9 inches eventually.

Here’s what we know about the arrival of the weather system, what to expect and when.

Friday evening/night

Rain – not snow – will kick off the weather event, with showers expected from around 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. until the precipitation turns to snow. Snowfall is expected to begin around 4 a.m. in several counties, including DeKalb, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties, and will likely continue for several hours. Snowfall intensity, however, will likely vary depending on your location.

A winter storm warning is expected to begin at 4 a.m. for DeKalb, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties. A winter weather advisory is expected to begin at the same time for DuPage, Kendall and LaSalle counties.

Early Saturday morning

Bands of heavy snow will form early in the morning in the northern and western suburbs. Anyone planning to venture out will need to be particularly careful as the roads are likely to be snowy which will lead to difficult travel conditions.

Late Saturday morning/noon

Lake and McHenry counties will likely see the greatest accumulation, with snowfall rates of up to 2 inches per hour well into the late morning hours, according to NBC 5 Storm Team Chief Meteorologist, Brant Miller.

Sporadic power outages and downed tree branches are also possible due to the combination of heavy snowfall and wind gusts of up to 35 miles per hour, according to the NWS. Kenosha County will likely see the same, but may experience higher snowfall totals. Accumulations between 6 and 10 inches are expected there, according to NWS.

In northern Cook County, a winter weather advisory will go into effect at 7 a.m., warning of snowfall rates of more than one inch for a brief period in the morning.

DeKalb and Kane counties, meanwhile, will likely experience snowfall rates of between 1 and 2 inches per hour. The sleet will likely cover the untreated roads, which will also make for difficult driving conditions.

Saturday afternoon

While the winter storm warning and winter weather advisory are due to expire at 1 p.m., the snow won’t stop immediately. The snow will eventually mix with the rain after 1 p.m., then gradually cease in the hours that follow.

By then, Lake and McHenry counties will likely have seen between 5 and 9 inches of snow. DeKalb and Kane counties could see between 2 and 8 inches of snowfall, according to the NWS. Meanwhile, northern parts of DuPage, Kendall and LaSalle counties could see up to 2 to 4 inches of snow, while southern parts could see little or no accumulation.

Saturday night

Partly cloudy skies will prevail over most of the region Saturday evening. Conditions will likely be cold, with low temperatures between 20 and 20 degrees and wind gusts of up to 20 miles per hour.

Sunday

Rain and snow showers are possible on Sunday morning, which could put a damper on the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle. Precipitation will likely disappear in the afternoon, which is when partly cloudy skies are expected to set in. Temperatures will be exceptionally cool, with highs in the 40s.