3 inches of snow could hit Chicago Thursday night

A mid-April snowstorm could dump 3 inches of snow on the Chicago area Thursday night, forecasters say.

The storm will hit just hours after another snow shower covered Cook County expressways in snow and ice Wednesday, causing a massive pileup of 50 vehicles and another 80 separate crashes.

Snow will start falling about midnight and last until almost 9 a.m. Friday, dropping between 1 and 3.5 inches in the city, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Friedlein.

The heaviest snow will fall in the early morning, between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m., he said.

“Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions will impact the morning commute Friday,” the weather service said in an alert.

Snow will fall heaviest in the south suburbs, where the forecast calls for between 3 and 5 inches. The north suburbs may only see a light dusting.

“The good news is the wind will be light, and won’t be a factor,” Friedlein said. “Temps will be at or a little below freezing. We’re urging people to allow extra time (for travel) and to be cautious.”

The late-season winter storm will hit Chicago less than two days after snow and ice blanketed the area Wednesday morning, causing 84 crashes on county expressways.

A massive pileup on the Kennedy Expressway at North Avenue injured more than a dozen people and involved 50 vehicles.

The Illinois Department of Transportation said it deployed enough salt trucks Wednesday, but state police said the roads remained “covered in sheets of ice.”