Following high winds over the past several days, McHenry County will open the workweek under a blizzard warning.

The National Weather Service issued the blizzard warning, which kicks in at 10 p.m. Sunday and runs through 1 p.m. Monday.

“A blizzard warning means severe winter weather conditions are expected or occurring. Falling and blowing snow with strong winds are likely. This will lead to whiteout conditions, making travel extremely dangerous,” the weather service said, adding “Travel should be restricted to emergencies only.”

Those who must travel should have a winter survival kit and stay with their vehicle if they get stranded.

Total snow accumulation is expected to be about 3 to 5 inches and “and ice accumulations around a light glaze,” according to the weather service.

The weather service previously issued a winter weather advisory just before 9:30 a.m. Sunday for DeKalb, La Salle, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Northern Cook counties in Illinois. A winter weather warning was issued for areas farther west. Those areas, too, have been upgraded to a blizzard warning.

The wintry weather moving into the area also prompted ShamROCKS the Fox, McHenry’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities, to shut down early Sunday.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Kevin Doom said earlier Sunday that rain overnight is expected to turn into snow with McHenry County receiving 2 to 4 inches of accumulation on cooler areas such as grass. Snow is expected to be light to moderate but pockets of heavy snow are possible. The weather service said Sunday afternoon northwestern portions of the county could get four to six inches of snow.

Warmer surfaces, such as roads, likely will see less accumulation. But rain later Sunday is expected to turn into snow, which could be enough to create a coating that means slick conditions on roads, Doom said.

But blowing snow during Monday’s morning commute could make travel hazardous, Doom said. Wind gusts could get as high as 35 to 40 mph at times and blowing snow could make visibility low, Doom said.

The weather service said the gusty winds could bring down tree branches.

People should slow down and use caution when they travel and when driving, and motorists should prepare for slippery roads.

“If you are going outside, watch your first few steps taken on stairs, sidewalks, and driveways. These surfaces could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury,” the weather service said.

A round of storms passed through northern Illinois on Sunday morning, with another round expected later in the day.

The weather service said Sunday afternoon rain is expected to transition to ice around 9 p.m. Sunday, with snow starting a little bit after that. Blowing snow and a snow rate of up to half an inch of snow per hour is expected in the early morning, with blowing snow lingering from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday.

As of 5:23 p.m. Sunday, 62 ComEd customers were without power, according to the company’s outage map. Most of the customers without power were in the southwestern portion of the county.

As of 12:53 p.m. Sunday, 13 ComEd customers were without power in the Richmond/Spring Grove area, according to the company’s outage map. About 1:15 p.m., a ComEd spokesperson said that power had been restored to the customers, and crews were out shoring up equipment, so a cause had not yet been determined.

Doom said about 12:45 p.m. Sunday he hadn’t heard of any damage reports in McHenry County. Doom said there is a better chance of damaging winds in the storm system later Sunday but there is a better chance of damages south of Interstate 80. However, there is still a possibility of damaging winds in McHenry County, he said.

Wind gusts could be 35 to 40 mph outside of the storm and 40 mph regularly during the storms with isolated gusts of up to 60 mph, he said.

After the storms, isolated showers are possible and temperatures are expected to plummet. Rain will turn into snow, he said. A cold front overnight will outweigh any heating during the day Monday and temperatures will be “stuck in the low 20s all day.” Wind chills are expected to be in the low single digits all day Monday, and possibly could fall below zero. They are expected to fall below zero overnight Monday into Tuesday, Doom said.