Chicago Weather Forecast: Winter Weather Advisory With Mix Of Rain, Sleet, And Snow

CHICAGO (CBS) -- CBS 2 Meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist has the latest look at what we can expect through Wednesday morning.

Freezing drizzle will become freezing rain during afternoon rush. Low-level moisture will increase, causing glazed roads, especially between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. It is possible to have ice accumulation of one tenth to near one quarter of an inch through mid-evening.

By 10 p.m., a mix of snow and freezing rain should change to all rain, as temperatures rise to the mid 30s.

Overnight, as temperatures drop, there will be a faster transition to snow in the far north and northwest suburbs. In the city, precipitation will transition to all snow by daybreak on Wednesday.

Snow will linger through the morning rush Wednesday, and taper off at lunchtime. Highest snow amounts will be along the Wisconsin border, and in the Rockford area.

LIVE UPDATES:

6:50 p.m.

As of 6:50 p.m. Tuesday, 758 flights have been canceled at O'Hare International Airport, and 101 flights have been canceled at Midway Airport.

6:30 p.m.

CBS 2's Mary Kay Kleist has a timeline for Chicago weather.

6:25 p.m.

Traffic is increasing on the Stevenson Expressway according CBS 2's Chelsea Irving. She said drivers are slowing down and taking caution of the icy roads.

6:20 p.m.

Carol Stream Street Supervisor Jason Pauling said he is expecting plows to be busy in the overnight hours salting and clearing streets.

5:45 p.m.

As of 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, 742 flights have been canceled at O'Hare International Airport, and 99 flights have been canceled at Midway Airport.

5:25 p.m.

The Illinois Department of Transportation has reported 50 car crashes in Cook County.

5:20 p.m.

CBS 2 Mobile Weather Lab Driving Conditions:

According to CBS 2's Ed Curran, ice is covering roads in McHenry County and snow is falling.

According to CBS 2's Chelsea Irving, driving conditions on the Stevenson Expressway continue to worsen with ice and slush. There is a 10th of an inch of ice of roadways, making driving difficult.

5:03 p.m.

Carol Stream Public Works deploy salt trucks to help combat icy roads. Driving and walking conditions remain slippery.

4:40 p.m.

The Illinois Tollway has activated 196 snowplows in response to the freezing rain expected during rush hour.

4:05 p.m.

Over in southwest Michigan, untreated surfaces were covered in a thin sheet of ice. A firefighter slides across Interstate 94, near Stevensville.

3:55 p.m.

Brian found his car covered in a coating of ice in Burbank earlier Tuesday.

3 p.m.

As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, 555 flights have been canceled at O'Hare International Airport, and 95 flights have been canceled at Midway Airport.

2:47 p.m.

A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for McHenry County. Heavy snow expected through Wednesday morning, mixing with freezing rain this afternoon. Total snow accumulations of 4
to 7 inches expected.

2:40 p.m.

1:58 p.m.

CBS 2 Meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist has the latest look at what we can expect through Wednesday morning.

Freezing drizzle will become freezing rain during afternoon rush. Low-level moisture will increase, causing glazed roads, especially between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. It is possible to have ice accumulation of one tenth to near one quarter of an inch through mid-evening.

By 10 p.m., a mix of snow and freezing rain should change to all rain, as temperatures rise to the mid 30s.

Overnight, as temperatures drop, there will be a faster transition to snow in the far north and northwest suburbs. In the city, precipitation will transition to all snow by daybreak on Wednesday.

Snow will linger through the morning rush Wednesday, and taper off at lunchtime. Highest snow amounts will be along the Wisconsin border, and in the Rockford area.

You can track school closings here.

1:15 p.m.

Airlines have cancelled 408 flights at O'Hare International Airport, and 68 flights Midway International Airport.

12:20 p.m.

Hundreds of flights have already been canceled at the airports.  Delays are mounting as well, but still under an hour on average.

12:10 p.m.

CBS 2's Ed Curran is reporting more accidents on the roads than normal, but none, so far, are serious.  The latest winter weather advisory is now in effect. The current radar is showing precipitation is starting to fall in scattered locations. Some schools in outlying areas are closing early.

11:42 a.m.

Illinois Department of Transportation trucks are out on Chicago area highways and expressways, spreading salt where needed as freezing rain, sleet, and snow start to fall.

11:23 a.m.

Police in west suburban Aurora are warning drivers that black ice is forming on the roads, and more calls are coming in about traffic accidents. Drivers should slow down, and if you don't have to go out, stay home.

10:57 a.m.

Freezing rain and snow have started falling in the far northern and far western suburbs, according to CBS 2 Meteorologists Mary Kay Kleist and Ed Curran.

10:47 a.m.

CBS 2 Meteorologist Megan Glaros tells us what to expect this afternoon and evening:

9:30 a.m.

Tuesday's temperatures might feel like a significant improvement over Monday's bitter cold, but a mix of freezing rain and snow is moving in later in the day, which could make for a messy and dangerous afternoon commute.

The mercury didn't rise above the upper teens on Monday, with temperatures stuck in the single digits for most of the morning. By comparison, temperatures had already reached 17 before dawn on Tuesday, matching Monday's high in Chicago, with the high expected to reach the upper 30s by Tuesday evening.

Tuesday's big concern will be a mix of freezing rain, sleet, and snow. Light rain began to fall in Northwest Indiana and downtown on Tuesday morning, but the bigger threat is later in the afternoon.

A winter weather advisory begins at noon Tuesday, continuing through midnight. More significant winter weather will hit further northwest, with a winter storm warning for Boone and Winnebago counties, and far northwestern Illinois from 9 a.m. Tuesday through noon Wednesday.

The wintry mix could begin in the western suburbs shortly before noon, with snow spreading across the northern suburbs by the afternoon; and sleet, rain, and freezing rain hitting further south.

As temperatures rise slightly during the afternoon and evening, rain could move further north, with snow sticking around in the far northern suburbs and the Rockford area.

Drivers should expect dangerous driving conditions during the afternoon rush, as the rain could freeze on contact with untreated roads and sidewalks, because of how cold it has been in recent days.

The wintry mix won't wrap up until Wednesday morning, around 8 a.m.

Most of the Chicago region will get an inch of snow or less, with most areas getting only freezing rain, with up to a tenth of an inch of ice accumulation.

Heavy snow will hit the Rockford area, and further north and west, with accumulations of 4 to 7 inches by Wednesday morning.

No major storm systems are expected for the rest of the week, but temperatures will drop steadily over the next few days, with highs in the upper 20s on Wednesday, the lower 20s on Thursday, and single digits on Friday.

Saturday and Sunday will see highs in the teens, with scattered snow showers on Saturday.

In:
• National Weather Service