Weather in Chicago: Round 2 of snowfall makes the roads slippery

CHICAGO – The second round of Chicago’s three-part snow system is picking up speed and advancing from the north. This will impact the morning commute, with the greatest impacts felt in the northern portion of our viewing area where 2 to 3 inches have already fallen.

Due to snow and ice, a ground stop was ordered at O’Hare Airport from 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. The closure has now been lifted but there remains a ground delay until 11am, an average delay of 41 minutes.

Additional accumulations of about an inch are expected in the next round, perhaps less near the lake, where the temperature is just above freezing and snow sticking is limited. Highs will range from the lows to around the mid 30s and then begin to fall as the system retreats. There will also be gusty winds.

The third round of this system will be lake effect snow from today into tomorrow. The band of snow could cover northeastern Illinois before becoming exclusively a problem in northwest Indiana today through Saturday. Lows this evening will be in the teens, with wind chills around freezing.

The weekend looks cool but dry, with some sunshine both days. Maximum temperatures tomorrow will be between 20 and 30°C (coldest where the snow cover is thickest in the north). It will be a few degrees less cold on Sunday.

The real warm-up begins next week with highs in the 40s most days and some slight chances of rain – possibly Monday morning, then Christmas Day and Thursday.