Chicago was blanketed overnight by its first major winter storm of the season, as powerful lake-effect snow transformed the city into a whiteout and sent temperatures plunging across the Midwest.  

Footage from early Tuesday shows streets rapidly disappearing under waves of fast-falling snow, reducing visibility to near zero in several neighborhoods. The intense squalls, driven by cold Arctic air sweeping over Lake Michigan, left roads slick and dangerous just as commuters prepared for the morning rush hour.  

City officials urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel as plows and salt trucks worked through the night to clear major routes. The National Weather Service reported localized snowfall rates exceeding two inches per hour, warning that blowing snow and ice accumulation could persist into the evening.  

Meteorologists say this storm marks the beginning of a prolonged cold pattern that could keep the region below freezing for days. With more snow bands expected later this week, Chicagoans are bracing for an early and unforgiving start to winter.