Mixed, snowy weather coming to northern Illinois with 4 to 7 inches possible

Thursday’s commute could be difficult for travelers as snow is expected to fall all throughout the day, the National Weather Service advised.

The hope is that accumulation won’t start to add up until the later part of the morning commute, meteorologist Kevin Doom said. Despite that, it is possible that snow could be sticking during the busiest time, making roads slick.

“It’s going to be snowing, and there’s a good chance it’s going to be snowing pretty good too through the morning commute,” Doom said. “Getting to work could get a little dicey. … It’s going to be a messy morning.”

A “healthy storm system” is expected to make its way into the region, which was expected to start as freezing rain and sleet overnight into Thursday, Doom said. The highest levels of snowfall are expected to happen closer to the Wisconsin border.

Meanwhile, areas that saw rain on Wednesday night are expected to see snow too as temperatures become cooler throughout the day Thursday, Doom said. By early mid-morning, any freezing rain will stop and turn entirely into snow, which will continue throughout the day, stopping late Thursday night.

The areas expected to be affected by the weather include McHenry, Kane, DeKalb, DuPage, La Salle, Winnebago, Boone, Lake, Kendall, Grundy, Kankakee, Livingston, Ogle, Lee and parts of Cook and Will counties, according to advisories posted by the National Weather Service.

“The problem child with this system is determining where exactly that band of mixed precipitation is going to be set up,” Doom said.

A weather service advisory naming several specific cities, including Crystal Lake, Algonquin, McHenry, Woodstock and a few towns in Ogle County was issued Wednesday afternoon. It warns of 4 to 7 inches of snow with winds as high as 40 mph between 3 a.m. and 9 p.m. Thursday.

“If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency,” according to the advisory.

Temperatures will lower to just under freezing early Thursday, but get cooler as the day goes on into the 20s, Doom said. It won’t be “significantly cold,” though, compared with normal February weather in Illinois, he said.

Wind also could be a problem, particularly in the regions that will only see snow, as it could blow snow around and hurt visibility.

“The area of mixed precipitation, it’s a narrow corridor,” Doom said. “We just happen to sit right in the sweet spot of it.”

The storm system is expected to subside after midnight Thursday, Doom said, paving the way for a warmer Friday and weekend.

“This whole weekend is going to be quiet and fairly pleasant,” Doom said. “We’re going to warm right back up into the upper 30s and 40s.”