Snow Likely for Your Morning Commute

Snow showers will develop late Tuesday night, possibly mixed with rain, and a band of moderate-to-heavy snow is forecast to move east across the Chicago area during the Wednesday-morning commute, according to the National Weather Service.

By the end of the day Wednesday, forecasts show 1.2 inches of snowfall along the North Shore, 1.3 to 1.8 inches in the south/southwest suburbs, 1.5 to 1.8 inches in DuPage County.

While slush and snow will herald the first week of December (and the first week of meteorological winter), December on the whole is forecast to be milder than typical. Several long-range predictions agree, according to the NWS.

“This will be due to an upper level jet stream pattern that will likely prevent very cold air masses from moving into the region, and any seasonably chilly air masses from lingering for more than a few days. The expected pattern is typical in strong El Nino episodes, such as the one that is currently ongoing,” the Weather Service explains. “The Climate Prediction Center has indicated a 70 to 80 percent chance for the average December temperature to finish above normal across the local area.”

Essentially, mild days, about 5 to 7 degrees above normal, will outnumber chilly days in December. We’ll see some of those warmer temps and sunnier skies later this week.

Chicago-Area Live Weather Radar

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