(Crain's) — Chicago-area transit agencies predict commuters should be able to reach their destinations during the upcoming storm, if local municipalities can keep major streets cleared of snow.

Representatives from Metra, Pace and Amtrak all said they plan to operate on a normal schedule Tuesday evening and throughout Wednesday, when the brunt of the winter storm is expected to dump at least a foot of snow on Northern Illinois.

The National Weather Service issued a blizzard watch in effect from Tuesday evening until Wednesday afternoon, with a prediction that snow will fall at a rate of 2 to 3 inches per hour. High winds of up to 60 mph are expected on Tuesday near Lake Michigan, which could produce snow drifts of 5 to 10 feet.

The Chicago Transit Authority said its buses and trains will operate normally, but the agency may bulk up service in the late afternoon if commuters decide to leave work early.

Snow blades will be attached to the front of all trains to help keep tracks clear. And the CTA also plans on running special train cars — called sleet cars — to help keep the electrified third rail from freezing on lines that don't operate round the clock.

A Metra spokesman said Monday that trains will be able to plow through snowy tracks, though there may be service delays.

"The main issue we have with winter weather . . . is more in terms of signals and switches," he said. "We will concentrate on keeping signals and tracks clear."

A spokesman for Pace said suburban bus service will depend on road conditions, but for the most part, he doesn't anticipate any major disruptions. Route cancellations are "generally pretty rare because we operate on main streets and I'm fairly confident that the streets will be clear," he said.

Pace riders may see increased wait times, and the agency's spokesman encouraged people to use its WebWatch bus tracking service available through www.pacebus.com.

An Amtrak spokesman said the national rail agency has made "no significant cancellations" for Tuesday, but train service is at the mercy of track owners. "We only own the tracks north and south of (Union Station)," he said.

The forecast forced Illinois lawmakers to cancel this week's session in the General Assembly in Springfield and the Illinois Pork Producers Assn. to reschedule its 2011 Pork Expo this week to Feb. 15 and 16 at the Peoria Civic Center.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)