Another round of weekend snowfall could bring 5 more inches by Sunday afternoon

(edward stojakovic / Flickr)

CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) - The second round of an unrelenting winter storm that hit portions of the Chicago area Friday with more than 10 inches of snowfall could bring roughly 5 more inches by the end of the weekend.

Saturday’s forecast calls for up to 3 inches of morning snowfall followed by a dry afternoon and evening, the National Weather Service said. Up to 2 more inches are expected early Sunday before a final dusting moves through in the morning.

On Saturday morning, drivers should use caution while traveling on snow-covered roads with limited visibilities, the weather service said.

Friday’s snowfall wreaked havoc on portions of northern Illinois and northwest Indiana, closing hundreds of schools and causing headaches on roadways.

The southwest suburbs were hardest hit by the storm. As of 5 p.m. Friday, Frankfort had seen 12.8 inches of snow, while Lemont had recorded 12 inches by 2:30 p.m. and Joliet had gotten 11.2 inches by 6 p.m., the weather service said.

The heavy snowfall caused hundreds of cancellations at both Chicago airports. O’Hare International Airport saw 7.8 inches by the end of the main storm about midnight Friday, with additional overnight snowfall bringing the total to 8 inches by Saturday morning, the weather service said. Midway’s total was 8.8 inches by the end of the main storm, with overnight snow bringing it to 9.1 inches by Saturday morning.

As of 8:30 a.m., 76 flights had already been canceled at O’Hare, and another 39 other flights had been grounded at Midway, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation. Delays at both airports were averaging less than 15 minutes.

Looking on the bright side, the forecast for the upcoming week calls for sunny, dry conditions after the pesky storm moves out of the area on Sunday afternoon, the weather service said. A high of 25 degrees is in the forecast Monday, with temperatures expected to push to 40 degrees on Wednesday.