As Chicago braces for a winter storm sweeping across the nation, the National Weather Service forecasts a 20 percent chance of snow later this afternoon, with the city's high temperature hovering near a chilling 10 degrees and wind chill values plunging as low as -21 degrees, according to the latest update. ABC7 Chicago's meteorologist Jaisol Martinez warns that wind chills this Saturday morning range between a frigid -20 to -25 degrees; however, temperatures should slightly rise above zero later in the day, per a statement obtained by ABC7 Chicago.
The incoming snowfall expected to hit the Chicago area this evening and continuing into Sunday is projected to build up 1 to 2 inches tonight and bring new snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches on Sunday, creating slick roads and treacherous travel conditions, Martinez added, areas may receive up to 6 inches of snow, driven by the lake effect which he predicts will cause a sharp cutoff with accumulations dropping significantly just 10 to 20 miles away from the lake, not only a Winter Weather Advisory looms for the region starting from 6 p.m. Saturday to as late as 1 a.m. Sunday across various counties.
The city must prepare for not only the snow but for continued frigid temperatures, with a low of 6 degrees tonight and even colder wind chills predicted to reach lows of -15 degrees Sunday night, Sunday looks to be cloudy with a high near 18 degrees and Monday promises brief respite in the form of sunny skies, albeit with a high near 11 degrees, as forecasted by the National Weather Service.
Travel within and out of the Windy City faces significant disruptions, with ABC7 noting nearly 200 flights canceled at O’Hare International and an additional 30 at Midway Airport, and such cancellations are part of over 8,000 flights axed across the country in anticipation of the storm, which has already led 17 states to declare emergencies, the Federal Aviation Administration has been liaising with airlines and airports to manage the response to the storm preparing for potential airport closures and the challenges of snow removal and deicing planes, Martinez told ABC7 Chicago.
