Mix of snow, freezing rain pushes into Chicago area

A mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain began pounding the Chicago area Monday evening, kicking off another round of brutal winter weather.

The wintry precipitation is expected to intensify during the night time hours, according to the National Weather Service. A winter weather advisory that remains in effect until 9 a.m. Tuesday noted that portions of Cook County could see up to 4 inches of accumulated snowfall.

Lee, DeKalb, Kane and DuPage counties could see up to a quarter inch of ice, and wind speeds could reach 35 mph in Lake, McHenry, Boone, Ogle and Winnebago counties, the weather service said.

The conditions could cause headaches during the morning and evening commutes, the weather service said. Motorists should use caution while traveling on slippery roadways with limited visibilities.

Chicago’s Department of Streets and Sanitation deployed 211 vehicles to respond to the snowfall, according to a statement from the agency. Salt spreaders are working to keep Lake Shore Drive and the city’s main roads safe and passable before possibly transitioning to residential streets.

A combination of rain and snow is expected until 3 p.m. Tuesday, the weather service said. After that, more snow will likely push through the area until around midnight.

Tuesday’s forecast calls for a daytime high of 35 degrees before temperatures dip below freezing to 19 degrees at night, the weather service said.

On Wednesday, Chicago area residents will get a brief reprieve from the snow and rainfall, the weather service. However, more precipitation is in the forecast on Thursday and Friday.