Winter storm watch in effect through Monday as Chicago braces for first snow

Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune on Nov 8, 2025

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CHICAGO — As a frigid air mass descends upon the central U.S., intense lake-effect snow is expected to hit the Chicago area late Sunday night into Monday as temperatures drop into the 30s, according to forecasters.

The season’s first winter storm watch would remain in effect from late Sunday night into Monday, bringing with it the area’s first snowfall, according to the National Weather Service.

Weather service warned of high rates of snowfall per hour, low visibility and potentially hazardous road conditions during the snowfall.

The storm watch is in effect for Cook County and Lake and Porter counties in Indiana, according to the weather service. The cold air mass was expected to arrive with a storm system Saturday night, bringing periods of snow and much cooler conditions through Monday.

Steady rain is expected across the area Saturday afternoon and evening hours before transitioning into snow as the temperatures drop, officials said. In central, northern and southern Cook Counties, snowfall was expected to be about 2 inches per hour. Winds could increase up to 25 mph, officials said.

The last snowfall in the area came last March, according to weather officials.