snow possible

A storm lifting out of the Plains could impact the area beginning tomorrow (Friday) night through Saturday afternoon. A Winter Storm Watch has been posted for areas well west and north of Chicago, where 5-8" of snow could fall. I think far less than that is likely in and around Chicago, and I'll generally take the under on everything I've seen so far. A wind off the 50-degree lake water is likely to keep the precip as mostly or all rain in Cook County and south of I-80. Additionally, the ground is still warm which won't help accumulations. Western and northern suburbs could see a dusting to maybe 1-2" if things come together, with the switch to snow only happening on the backside of the storm Saturday morning/afternoon. A slight shift to the south or an unexpected intensification could change things, but for now the accumulations and impact look very modest for the city of Chicago, moderate at worst for most suburbs, but potentially substantial for areas well west and north (e.g., Rockford). I will only send an update if something changes and significant accumulations become likely for the Chicago area. 

And to pre-answer the question, this potential snow is behind schedule. The average date of first flakes is November 1st, and the average date of measurable snow is November 15th -- we've had zero snow so far this year. The season overall has been very mild, and beyond this cold over the weekend things look seasonal (although not as balmy as they have been). And for comparison, last year on this date the high temperature was 19, with a low of 9.