About 200 snowplows are hitting the streets of Chicago as a snow begins to descend Friday morning.

The city could see an inch of snow by sunrise, according to the National Weather Service. The light snow is expected to continue through the afternoon and could drop an additional two inches, the weather service said.

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The Friday snowfall could end the city’s record-breaking 335-day streak of consecutive days without snow. The previous record for snow-free days was 280, set back in 1994. The city surpassed that record on Dec. 10.

City officials have deployed 199 snowplows to Lake Shore Drive and the city’s other main streets, according to a statement from the city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation. The plows will begin working on residential streets after the main streets have been cleared and covered with salt, the statement said.

While authorities encouraged drivers to be cautious during their morning rush-hour commute, Illinois State Police said there have been numerous cars involved in about nine crashes Friday morning in the Chicago region.

One of the largest crashes involved nine cars that collided on the Kennedy Expressway near the North Avenue exit, state police said, adding that one person suffered minor injuries. As a result, the Kennedy Expressway saw some delays Friday morning.

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