Chicago Weather: A Scary And Snowy Halloween Is Coming
CHICAGO (CBS) -- As you've heard by now, some scary Halloween weather is in order for Thursday.
CBS 2 Meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist reported a Winter Weather Advisory now includes Cook County, as well as Lake, DuPage, McHenry, and Kane counties and parts to the west. The advisory is in place until 6 p.m. Thursday.
A Lake Shore Flood Advisory is also in effect for lakefront counties, due to the threat of high waves accompanying the high winds.
There will be rain Wednesday night with breezy conditions. Gusty winds top out around 25 mph as the low pressure rides up to the southeast of Chicago.
As this system progresses it'll pull in colder air behind it. Our rain changes to snow during the day on Thursday and accumulation is likely. The worst of it will be in place just in time for the Thursday morning rush.
An inch or two in the city is expected, but 2 to 4 inches are possible to the west, and perhaps a little more could be seen far west and closer to Rockford.
Whatever snow is falling on trick-or-treaters will be driven by a blustery north wind that gusts to nearly 30 mph. The down jacket will be over the princess costume with wind chill temperatures in the middle 20s.
These powerful winds will also generate 7- to 10-foot waves on Lake Michigan, which will result in some lakefront flooding concerns.
The other concern, during these early-season snow events, is tree damage. Leaves still on trees at this time of year increases the surface area of the tree. The heavy weight of the snow, with temperatures near freezing, together with blustery autumn winds, means damage to trees and that can result in downed power lines. That is something to be aware of on Thursday.
Friday is sunny, but cold.
On Wednesday night, the low will drop to about degrees. The temperature falls through the 30s as the rain turns to snow on Thursday. On Friday, expect 40 degrees.