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Lake effect snow warning for Cook, Lake, DuPage counties tonight

A lake effect snow warning for Cook, Lake and DuPage counties starts at 7 p.m. Monday. It is set to expire at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Some areas in the warning could see 5-9 inches of snow, and some bands of the storm could be capable of producing snow in excess of two inches per hour. As it is lake effect snow, the snowfall is expected to be worse closer to the lake.

Steady snowfall means drivers should take caution on roads, according to the weather service advisory.

The snow will add to what fell in the suburbs starting Sunday night.

Some areas got more snow than the others. Only 2.2 inches fell at O'Hare by 7 a.m. Monday, ABC 7 reported, but 6.1 inches was reported in Gurnee, where snow kept falling until 10 a.m. Lombard saw 2 inches of snow.

It had been 85 days since snow fell in the Chicago area, ABC 7 said.

Temperatures should remain in the low to high 30s over the next several days. It's making for a March that so far is colder than February. The average high temperature so far this month has been 45 degrees, according to the Weather Underground website. The average high was 48 degrees for February.

In the East

Sandwiched between days that felt like spring last week and the official start of spring next week, a "life-threatening" nor'easter is poised to bring a reminder that winter isn't over yet, with blizzard conditions and a blanket of heavy snow expected in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, The Associated Press reported.

Meteorologists were calling for snowfall totals as high as 20 inches in New York City from the storm's start late Monday through Tuesday evening. The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for the city and parts of neighboring New Jersey and Connecticut, with wind gusts up to 55 mph and low visibility predicted.

The weather service's office near Philadelphia called the storm "life-threatening" and warned people to "shelter in place."

Travel was sure to be dismal: About 4,000 Tuesday flights were canceled as of Monday afternoon, Amtrak canceled and modified service up and down the Northeast Corridor and motorists were urged to stay off the roads.

The forecast prompted New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to make an unusually early decision to close the city's schools on Tuesday, giving the order late Monday morning.

He urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and help keep the roads clear. "We're preparing for a significant storm on Tuesday, and New Yorkers should also prepare for snow and dangerous road conditions," de Blasio said.

The weather about-face comes a week after the region saw temperatures climb into the 60s. Spring officially starts on March 20.

  Island Lake resident Ed Warchal cleans off his truck Monday morning at his Juniper Road home after a few inches of snow fell overnight. Paul Valade/pvalade@dailyherald.com
  A bicyclist heads down a snowy Glen Avenue in Crystal Lake Monday morning after a few inches of snow fell overnight. More snow is expected tonight and Tuesday as the lake effect machine kicks in. Paul Valade/pvalade@dailyherald.com
  John Amtmann with the Naperville Park District clears away snow in front of Wil O Way Commons park in Naperville on Monday. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
  Snow and ice cover a statue that was given a scarf in Century Park in Vernon Hills on Monday after snow fell overnight. More than 4 inches of accumulated around the area with more snow expected on Tuesday. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
  Five-year-old Claire Pyo makes a snow angel near her home in Vernon Hills on Monday after snow fell overnight. More than 4 inches of accumulated around the area with more snow was expected on Tuesday. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
  Shaun Freidel, 3, left, and his brother Keaton, 5, of Geneva, enjoy the snow at Fabyan Forest Preserve in Geneva Monday. It was the first sledding conditions in the area in quite a while. Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com

What's February, what's March?

48: Average high in February

45: Average high in March so far

70: Highest temp reached in February

65: Highest reached in March so far

Snowfall inch counts

<b>Through Monday morning:</b>Waukegan: 5.5 inches

Gurnee: 4.5 inches

Barrington: 2.8 inches

Schaumburg: 2.4 inches

Elmhurst: 2.3 inches

Naperville: 1 inch

<b>Forecast through Tuesday:</b>Forecasts vary, but more snow is expected near Lake Michigan.

East Lake, Cook, DuPage: 6-8 inches

West Lake, Cook, DuPage: 2-6 inches

Kane, McHenry: 3 inches or less

Sources: Weather Underground, National Weather Service

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