Chicago Weather: Celebrate The New Year With Snow?

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicagoland could ring in the New Year with a pile of snow.

While the track of the potential storm remains a bit uncertain, there is a moderate probability of several inches of snow, which would start falling on New Year's Day.

If the storm tracks to the north, the northern sections of Chicagoland would get snow, while the southern portion would see rain or a mix, according to forecast models. If the storm tracks more to the south, the entire region would get snow.

The storm could also include high winds.

Big New Year's storms have happened before. Many might remember the New Year's Day storm of 1999, when a total of 21.6 inches fell at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. That ranks as the second biggest snowfall in Chicago history.

There is currently no indication that a storm this weekend would reach totals like that. It's too soon to predict more precise snow amounts, but models show about four to six inches.

We went into the CBS 2 News digital archives to find the three worst blizzards in Chicago. And just this past February, about 18 inches fell at Midway International Airport, but only a little more than seven inches at O'Hare.

In case that makes you feel any better.