UPDATE: At 7:15 a.m., O’Hare Airport issued a ground stop for departures to Chicago due to snow and ice. The groundstop is expected to last through 8:45 a.m., the FAA said.
Snow was quickly falling in northeast Illinois Wednesday morning as a system from southeast Wisconsin blowed south, Live Doppler 5 radar showed.
As of 6:50 a.m., snow was falling in Kenosha County, Lake County and parts of Cook County, with “gusty snow showers and squalls” expected to move steadily southward, the National Weather Service said.
Later Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for Kenosha County, along with a snow squall warning for some Chicago-area counties.
“Travel will become difficult and potentially dangerous within minutes,” the NWS warned.
During the Wednesday morning commute, some drivers reported white-out conditions that were quickly deteriorating.
“Expect localized hazardous travel due to snow, strong winds gusting up to 40 mph and temps quickly falling into the 20s,” the NWS said.
Snow was expected to continue through 11 a.m. in Illinois before moving into northern Indiana and eastern Michigan, where winter storm warnings and advisories were in effect. There, up to 12 inches of snow was possible, the NBC 5 Storm Team said.
Winds gusting as high as 40 mph with blowing and drifting snow was expected to create whiteout conditions, making travel “treacherous and potentially life-threatening,” the NWS added.
Those conditions were expected to all day Wednesday and into Thursday morning, NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alicia Roman said, as lake effect snow lingers.
More rounds of snow Thursday and beyond
Lake effect snow in Indiana was expected to come to an end by lunchtime Thursday. After that, a “wintry pattern” will bring daily chances for snow, blustery winds and cold temperatures.
An arctic front will arrive late tonight accompanied by snow showers and a start of lake effect snow in northwestern Indiana. A wintry pattern will then prevail through at least early next week with regular opportunities for snow, blustery northwest winds, and cold temperatures. pic.twitter.com/ffuaWH7vwn
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) January 13, 2026
“We’re watching another fast-moving system that will bring us more snow area-wide Thursday night,” Roman said, starting at about 5 p.m.
Temperatures will be in the 20s Thursday and 30s Friday, before dropping into the teens over the weekend and for Sunday’s Bears-Rams playoff game at Soldier Field.
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