After a mild start to December, McHenry County could get its first taste of winter weather this week.

The National Weather Service predicts a major storm will hit the Midwest beginning Wednesday night and into Thursday, with heavy wind, rain and snow.

“The pattern shows that winter weather is likely this week,” said Matt Friedlein, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Chicago. “There’s a small chance of snow [Tuesday] morning with a much more significant chance between Wednesday night and Thursday night.”