'It's Bears weather': Lake-effect snow hits Northwest Indiana

'It's Bears weather': Snow in Chicago area

The snow and wind have calmed down in Chicago - for now. Northwest Indiana dealt with the brunt of lake effect snow. No matter where you were--- you felt it today. Fox Chicago's Bret Buganski shows you why they all said the timing is perfect for Bears weather.

GARY, Ind. - Chicagoland is dealing with lake-effect snow, strong winds and bitter cold Wednesday.

There are more snow chances and temperatures dropping in the days ahead.

Indiana:

Lake-effect snow fell across Northwest Indiana, while lighter snow moved through other parts of the region.

A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Porter County until 9 a.m. Thursday, with total snowfall expected to reach about 4 to 5 inches in those areas.

Cold and windy conditions are adding to the wintry feel. Temperatures are staying in the 20s, with wind gusts reaching 40 to 50 mph. Some in Gary compared this system to a blitz they were not expecting.

"I woke up and the alarm on my cell phone went off; I kind of got caught off guard," said Gary Police Department Officer Dennis Whittington.

On Wednesday afternoon, Fox Chicago's crew arrived in downtown Gary to slippery conditions, with some roads not plowed yet. By 2 p.m., we started to see public works drivers hit the main stretches near the bus station and convention center. Some talked about how the wind impacted their commute.

"The wind is blowing the bus around so I have to drive real slow, so I don't have an accident," said Darius Herrod, a Gary Public Transportation Corp. bus driver.

Whittington told Fox Chicago that most of Gary was clear of crashes, but that was not the case for I-65.

"It was slippery; I saw a few accidents, even trucks and cars had to pull over to the side, so it was really bad," said Whittington.

Chicago:

In Chicago's Loop, some commuters described what they felt on their morning drive.

"Traffic for the cars is rough; it's really slow-going out there," said Gwen from Humboldt Park.

"You need to make sure you're careful with your face, that wind is swirling around," said Annie from Wicker Park.

"It's Bear weather, as we like to call it," said John.

Like Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson's motto, "Good Better Best," many felt this weather blitz would only benefit the Bears on Sunday against the Rams at Soldier Field.

What's next:

Thursday will bring a brief break, with mostly sunny skies and cold conditions. Highs are expected to reach the mid to upper 20s.

Snow chances return Thursday night into Friday. Friday is expected to be cloudy, with highs climbing into the upper 30s.

The weekend looks especially cold. Saturday highs will hover around 20 under mostly cloudy skies, with a chance for snow. Sunday will be even colder, with highs in the upper teens, partly sunny skies and a chance for snow in the afternoon.

Early next week, winter holds firm. Highs Monday and Tuesday will remain in the upper teens, with partly to mostly cloudy skies.

Check out the full forecast here.