First Winter Storm: How Much Snow Illinois Could Get

The Chicago area will likely see its first winter storm of the season on Sunday and Sunday night. According to the National Weather Service, there still remains some uncertainty regarding where the heaviest snowfall will occur and how quickly rain will change to snow on Sunday, but some areas could see significant snow, which could impact travel.

The weekend will start off sunny and warmer on Saturday, which has a high of 49 degrees, the NWS said. Rain will begin on Saturday night and Sunday, and the potential winter storm could hit the area on Sunday or Sunday night.

According to the NWS, Chicago has a 30 percent chance of seeing 4 inches of snow or more. Joliet is slightly higher at 36 percent and Midway even higher at 38 percent. The greatest chance for snow seems to be the northern suburbs and communities like De Kalb and Rockford. O'Hare has a 43 percent chance of 4 inches of snow or more; Aurora has 47 percent and De Kalb has the highest at 62 percent.

The winter storm forecast could continue to change, the NWS said. Stay up to date on the latest forecasts and plan ahead for travel impacts.

Here is a detailed look at the weather this weekend:

• FRIDAY NIGHT: Rain, mainly before 5 a.m. Patchy fog after midnight. Low around 44. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
• SATURDAY: A 30 percent chance of rain before 9am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 49. West southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
• SATURDAY NIGHT: A 20 percent chance of rain after midnight. Increasing clouds, with a low around 36. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north northeast after midnight.
• SUNDAY: Rain. High near 39. East northeast wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
• SUNDAY NIGHT: Rain before 8 p.m., then rain and snow between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., then snow after 9 p.m. Low around 25. Blustery. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

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