Snowfall to begin in earnest this afternoon; 5 to 7 inches likely

Our next area of low pressure will come through the region late today and tonight.

Plan on snow to start around midafternoon in many spots, with the heaviest of the snow coming down between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. During this time, snow rates of 1 inch per hour are likely, with roads quickly becoming snow covered and slick.

Storm totals of 5 to 7 inches still look reasonable at this time, with a few isolated 8 inch totals possible. Winds won't be a huge issue while the snow falls, but should pick up as the snow exits early Tuesday morning.

This system is also the one responsible for unlocking the coldest air of the season so far. Given 5 to 7 inches of fresh powdery snow, the setup will be favorable for minus teens and 20s for Tuesday night and widespread minus 20s for lows Wednesday night.

With wind, we'll likely see widespread wind chill numbers of -35 to -40 both Tuesday night and Wednesday night. This cold air will be similar to the cold in 2014 as well as 2009.