The Chicago area charged head-on into full-fledged winter weather Saturday as the season's first snowstorm brought a general 3-7 inch snowfall to the area. Officially the city recorded 5.1 inches of snow at O'Hare International Airport, a record amount for the date, besting the 4.6 inches that fell here in1964. Areas west and south of Chicago were even harder hit with up to 9 inches of snow blanketing areas in a band from Dubuque to Champaign.
A cold week is in store for the area with temperatures not expected to reach or break the freezing mark. With a fresh snow cover in place, overnight lows are forecast to plummet to single digits on several nights with coldest inland location flirting with zero.
With a northwest flow of arctic air sweeping across Lake Michigan the next few days, a major lake-effect snow is likely to bury portions of northern Indiana and southwest lower Michigan. Snow totals are expected to top two feet in some areas.
Looks like the Midwest is heading for a White Christmas.