What a difference 24 hours makes! From highs in the upper 40s and low 50s on Tuesday to snow squalls, heavy lake effect, and wind chills near zero today.

A heavy band of wind-whipped snow made for near white-out conditions and prompted a snow squall warning for several Chicago-area counties Wednesday morning, but just how much snow is expected to fall?

A band of snow moved into the Chicago area Wednesday morning, creating slick conditions for the morning commute.

Northwest Indiana was hit by heavy snow and strong winds while Chicago stayed clear and sunny. A 30-vehicle pileup shut down part of the Indiana Toll Road in Elkhart County, and lake-effect snow made travel difficult in Porter County. Bitter cold and dangerous wind chills remain in the area.

“There is also a Winter Storm Warning on the downwind side of Michigan for portions of far northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan as travel conditions will be hazardous due to a forecast 6-8 inches of snow with wind gusts to 40 mph,” the National Weather Service said.

The Chicago Bears have received some exciting news for their upcoming NFL playoff showdown with the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field.