Timeline: ‘Quickly deteriorating' conditions expected for evening commute

The Chicago area is bracing for yet another wintry blast of weather, as snow could snarl the evening commute and disrupt travel in the region.

A winter weather advisory has been issued for the entire Chicago area, with 2-to-4 inches of snow expected and more accumulations possible in localized areas, especially to the south and east of the city.

Here is a full breakdown of what residents can expect, and when.

Early Afternoon:

After a mostly cloudy start to the day, accumulating snow is expected to begin falling in the far western suburbs, including DeKalb, LaSalle, Kendall and Grundy counties, around 1 p.m. and continuing through the late afternoon.

Road conditions could quickly become hazardous, as below-freezing temperatures will allow snow to stick to roadways more quickly, causing slick conditions.

Visibility could also be an issue due to heavy snowfall rates at times, adding to the travel difficulties.

Mid-Afternoon:

Snow will continue to build toward the east as the afternoon moves along, moving into Kane, DuPage, Will and Kankakee counties between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Roadway conditions on Interstates 90, 80, 55 and 57 will continue to be impacted by the snow, with areas south of I-80 potentially receiving higher snowfall accumulations, according to forecast models from the NBC 5 Storm Team.

Late Afternoon/Early Evening:

By the time the evening rush hour ramps up, the snow will have arrived in the city of Chicago between 3 and 5 p.m., with the system continuing to push toward the northeast, according to forecast models.

Between two and four inches of snow are expected with the storm according to a winter weather advisory issued by the National Weather Service, with increasing totals further south in the area.

Evening Hours:

Snow is expected to continue into the evening hours, and will arrive in Indiana after 4 p.m. and after sunset, according to the NBC 5 Storm Team.

Travel conditions could still be impacted areawide by the snow, with drivers advised to reduce speeds due to diminished visibility and slick road conditions, according to the National Weather Service.

Late Evening:

Snow will begin to taper off from west-to-east, coming to an end around 8 p.m. in the western suburbs and coming to an end closer to midnight in the far southern and eastern portions of the Chicago area, according to NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alicia Roman.

Overnight lows won’t drop too much, falling into the upper-teens and low-20s, but there could be a few changes in the forecast coming up this week.

Tuesday

Cooler conditions are expected on Tuesday under partly-to-mostly cloudy skies, with high temperatures only reaching into the mid-to-upper 20s, according to forecast models.

What’s more, overnight lows could plummet into the single-digits late Tuesday and into Wednesday morning, providing an Arctic blast that will occur again later in the week.

Wednesday

Another chance of snow arrives in the forecast on Wednesday as another storm system approaches. High temperatures are expected to claw their way slightly above the freezing mark, but they will drop again quickly overnight into Thursday for some of the coldest temperatures of the season.

Thursday/Friday

The low temperature on Thursday could approach zero degrees and highs won’t be a lot better, with readings only expected in the teens across the Chicago area. Partly-to-mostly sunny skies will do little to warm the air during the day, paving the way for a chilly end to the work week.

Friday will be slightly warmer, with highs in the 20s, but that will occur prior to yet another system bringing a chance of snow to the region for the weekend.

Weekend

Snow could fall again on Saturday, with highs in the low-30s across the area. Sunday should be clearer but temperatures will still be below their seasonal averages, rising only into the upper-20s and low-30s.

Be sure to download the NBC Chicago app for real-time weather alerts sent directly to your phone, and stay tuned to the NBC 5 Storm Team for all the latest weather news and information.