CHICAGO – A volatile setup over Lake Michigan is poised to deliver the first significant lake-effect snow event of the season late Sunday night through Monday morning, potentially featuring thundersnow and snowfall rates topping 3 inches per hour. The National Weather Service warns that travel during the Monday morning commute could become nearly impossible across parts of Cook and eastern Will Counties.
According to the National Weather Service in Chicago, a Winter Storm Watch remains in effect from late Sunday night through Monday morning for northern, central, and southern Cook County, as well as eastern Will County. Localized snowfall totals well above 6 inches are possible beneath the most intense snow bands, with strong north winds gusting up to 35 mph creating blowing and drifting snow near the lakefront.
The heaviest snow is expected between 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. Monday, with conditions varying sharply over short distances — heavy snow and thunder in one neighborhood, clear skies in another. Areas most at risk include Chicago’s South Side, Calumet City, and Orland Park, extending southeast toward Beecher and Crete.
Motorists are urged to avoid nonessential travel early Monday and prepare for near-zero visibility at times. Public transportation delays are possible, and power outages may occur where heavy, wet snow combines with gusty winds.
This lake-effect event will wind down by midday Monday, leaving bitterly cold air and slick roads in its wake — a preview of winter’s early arrival across the Chicago metro.
