First significant snowfall likely Thursday, weather service says

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Updated: January 10, 2012 1:05PM

Itching for snow? There’s an 80 percent chance you’ll wake up to some Thursday morning.

An Arctic cold front will sweep across the Chicago area Wednesday night, bringing an end to the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been experiencing, with the potential for the first significant snowfall of the season, the National Weather Service says.

Snow could develop as early as late Wednesday night with an increasing threat for snow Thursday.

Snow should fall throughout Thursday morning into the evening with total accumulations of several inches not out of the question, the weather service said.

And with the snow will come the cold — bitter cold. Temperatures are expected to fall through the 20s Thursday into the teens Thursday night, and may not climb much above 20 on Friday, the weather service said.

The bitter low on Friday? Just 14 degrees.