Winter Weather Advisory issued for Chicago area, snow expected — here's how much

Chicago forecast: Here comes the snow

Emily Wahls has your Chicago snowy weather update!

CHICAGO - Heads up, Chicago! Our first measurable snow is expected to fall on Tuesday.

According to the National Weather Service, snow will begin falling early Tuesday morning around 4 a.m. and last through Wednesday morning. This will be an all-day event with bursts of snow hitting periodically throughout the day.

Snow rates could reach one inch per hour, the National Weather Service is warning. Slippery travel is expected, with slushy accumulations on roads — especially on bridges and overpasses.

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According to the National Weather Service, the Chicago area could see anywhere from one to five inches of snow.

Most of the region can expect one to three inches on Tuesday. However, parts of McHenry, Lake (IL), DuPage, and northern Cook counties could see additional snow Tuesday night, pushing totals to two to five inches by daybreak Wednesday.

The National Weather Service is urging motorists to prepare for extra travel time, check road conditions before driving, and slow down and increase following distance.

First snows of the season are notoriously difficult to predict when it comes to amounts, FOX 32 Meteorologist Tim McGill said. The ground temperature along with the possibility of some snow mixing with or changing to rain are just a few challenges forecasters face. A wind off a relatively warm Lake Michigan can also eat into the snowfall totals.

Our proprietary Fox Model is laying down about one to three inches of snow by Tuesday evening. It hints at higher amounts along and south of I-80 where more than three inches could fall in spots.

Fox Model

Our Baron model is showing similar snowfall amounts. One to three inches is the most likely range of snowfall, but a few spots south of the city could see nearly four inches in total.

Baron Model

Our colder pattern could continue through at least Thanksgiving weekend. Our model shows below average temperatures (by as much as 20 degrees) through a week from this Thursday. Average highs for this time of the year are in the lower to middle 40s.