Winter storm watch begins Friday, forecasts say 4 to 8 inches of snow

A winter storm watch begins Friday afternoon lasting until Saturday morning, which could make the end of the week’s commute difficult. The warning from the National Weather Service in Chicago means that heavy snow, sleet, or ice accumulation is on its way and likely to cause hazardous road conditions and travel delays.

After analyzing weather models on Thursday, the weekend snow storm is expected to come Friday afternoon moving north to south, NWS Chicago said. Friday will have cloudy skies and temperatures will reach 30 degrees, then at 3 p.m. there’s a 50 percent chance of snow. Later on snowfall might be heavier, following with patchy, blowing snow.

Heading into Saturday, temperatures will be around 27 degrees with snow falling mainly before noon. It’ll be windy with gusts blowing up to 40 mph. There’s an 80 percent chance of snow Saturday night. On Sunday, snow is likely before noon and temperatures will peak in the 20s with party sunny skies.

By Saturday midday, new snow totals around Chicago and its suburbs could be between 4 to 8 inches, according to NWS Chicago. Most of the snowfall from the storm will come between Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon. Then Saturday to Sunday, there’s the chance for heavy lake effect snow.

Temperatures will get frigid on Saturday night, windchill will make temperatures feel as cold as -15 degrees. Hypothermia and frostbite could occur within one hour of being outside if you’re not dressed properly, warns NWS Chicago. For a more detailed look at the forecast timeline, visit the NWS report.

To help residents prepare for the storm, the NWS Chicago held a live Q&A on Twitter to answer questions about the upcoming weather. While they answered questions about airline travel and when it might be the worst time to drive, they also gave detailed information on when you might be able to mold the perfect snowball.