**Great Lakes Bracing for Season’s First Heavy Snowfall: Winter Storm Warnings Issued**

The Great Lakes region is preparing for the season’s first major snowstorm, as a powerful lake-effect snow event moves in this weekend. Forecasters say some areas could see between 1 to 2 feet of snow—a dramatic start to what’s expected to be an impactful La Niña winter.

The National Weather Service has issued strong warnings of “dangerous to impossible travel conditions” due to intense lake-effect snow, which will greatly reduce visibility and hamper travel. Winds could gust up to 30 mph, particularly near the Lake Michigan shoreline. Notably, Chicago has received its first November Winter Storm Warning in seven years, highlighting the severity of the approaching system, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

A fast-moving area of low pressure that brought snow to the Dakotas on Saturday morning is now heading toward the Great Lakes and the Northeast. Many locations in these regions may see their first measurable snowfall of the season as a result.

By Sunday, the strengthening low will be centered over Central Illinois, pumping moisture into the Midwest and Great Lakes. Cold air funneling down from Canada will further support snow development. In northwest Indiana, snowfall totals could reach up to two feet. Parts of Michigan and upstate New York are expected to see 8 to 12 inches, with locally higher amounts possible.

Sunday night into Monday morning, the low pressure system will continue east, bringing prolonged lake-effect snow near Lake Michigan. An intense band of snow is forecast to develop and persist overnight, causing hazardous conditions.

As the system moves into the Northeast Monday into Tuesday, accumulating snow is expected downwind of lakes Erie and Ontario. Areas just inland from the Great Lakes in upstate New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio could see 8 to 12 inches, with heavier snow bands likely as the storm progresses.

In addition to the snowfall, winds will be very gusty as the low pivots through the region. Wind gusts up to 35–40 mph are possible, especially near the Great Lakes and the core of the low pressure system.

Stay tuned to local weather updates and heed travel advisories as this early-season winter storm takes aim at the Great Lakes and the Northeast.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/09/us-news/winter-storm-warning-issued-for-chicago-as-intense-snowfall-targets-great-lakes-with-up-to-2-feet/