Mix of snow, freezing rain expected for Monday in Chicago area

A dusting of snow, sleet and freezing drizzle are expected to hit the Chicago area Monday, the National Weather Service says.

Light snow will start Monday morning and accumulate up to 1 inch. Later in the day, freezing rain will begin and last late into the night, according to the weather service. The wintry mix is expected to last into Tuesday.

Though temperatures will be warming to near freezing Monday night, the weather service expects subzero ground temperatures into Tuesday morning, causing slick streets and sidewalks. The weather service forecasted ice accumulations around a tenth of an inch.

The service also cautions drivers to be careful on roadways and warned that power outages are possible. The hazardous conditions could impact the evening commute Monday.

The high Monday will be 31 degrees during the day, and the low Monday night will be 30 degrees. By Tuesday morning, the high will be 36 degrees, according to the weather service.

Two weeks of storms that have turned roads into icy death traps, frozen people to death from Oregon to Tennessee and caused power outages that could take weeks to fix continued to sock both coasts with another round of weather chaos on Friday.

The rain, snow, wind and bitterly cold temperatures have been blamed for at least 55 deaths in the U.S. over the past two weeks as a series of storms moved across the country. Schools and roads have closed, and air traffic has been snarled

There is hope. The forecast for next week calls for above average temperatures across almost the whole country, according to the National Weather Service.

By Wednesday Chicago’s high will be 40.

Contributing: Associated Press