AccuWeather.com

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

Feb 10, 2012; 5:55 PM ET

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This could be the scene around Chicago's Lakefront this weekend in the wake of bands of lake-effect snow. (Photos.com photo)

Lake-effect snow will reach westward across lower Lake Michigan to Chicagoland and northwestern Indiana lasting into early Saturday.

The event which features respectable cold air passing over the wide-open waters of the lake will unload locally heavy snow, especially from along the Chicago Lakefront to northwestern Indiana.

From 3 to 6 inches of snow is likely in this swath, with locally higher amounts possible in northwestern Indiana.

Snow from an Arctic cold front continued to swing southeastward across lower Michigan, northern Illinois and northern Indiana this afternoon, ahead of the lake-effect.

So for part of the Chicagoland area to northwestern Indiana the heavy snow will be a two-pronged event.

Bands of snow are likely to linger into Saturday over northwestern Indiana, hence the potential for the greatest snowfall totals.

Since it will turn colder during the event, the drive home this evening could turn quite slippery as wet areas turn slushy and slushy areas freeze.

The visibility may get very low for a few hours in snow and blowing snow, perhaps resulting in flight delays.

Lesser amounts of snow are in store farther west in Illinois and in the southeastern tip of Wisconsin where Lake Michigan will not be so much of a player.

Lake-effect snow will be no stranger to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and will extend farther west than usual over northwestern Wisconsin due to the north to northeast flow.

Little lake-effect is in store along much of the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, due to the north to northeast flow. However, these areas were getting a period of snow with the arctic front.

The arctic front can bring enough snow to cover the ground in spots even over much of lower Michigan, northwestern, central and southern Ohio and central Indiana.

In these areas, the same temperature drop accompanying the snow or shortly thereafter can lead to icy travel. This includes the metro areas of Detroit, Indianapolis and Cincinnati.

Farther east, the combination of an upper-level disturbance, the Arctic front and northerly flow lake effect could bring several inches of snow to Cleveland, Canton and Akron.