Winter storm watch issued: some suburbs could see 7+ inches

Two rounds of snow are set to hit the region starting Monday night, with parts of the suburbs possibly seeing more than 7 inches of accumulation by Tuesday evening, the National Weather Service said Sunday.

The first round will arrive Monday evening, with the peak rates occurring between midnight Tuesday and daybreak, according to the weather service. Accumulations are forecast between 1 to 3 inches in areas south and west of Chicago, and less than two inches in the North and Northwest suburbs.

The second round will arrive about midday Tuesday, dropping heavy, wet snow in excess of 6 inches by Tuesday night. The heaviest snowfall is expected to occur in the far Northwest suburbs, including Algonquin, Crystal Lake and nearby communities, according to a winter storm watch issued Sunday afternoon.

Snowfall rates in excess of 1 inch per hour are possible at times, and the precipitation could be accompanied by wind gusts up to 30 mph.

Travel could be difficult and the hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday evening commute, according to the weather service.

It could be the start of a snowy week for the region. After a cloudy, but precipitation-free Wednesday, the forecast calls for chances of snow Thursday through Saturday.