If 7 inches of snow has fallen over the past 4 hours, you can calculate the snow accumulation rate per hour.
To find the hourly snow rate: \[ \text{Hourly rate} = \frac{7 \text{ inches}}{4 \text{ hours}} = 1.75 \text{ inches per hour} \]
Now, to find the total expected snowfall over the next 24 hours at the same pace: \[ \text{Total snowfall} = \text{Hourly rate} \times 24 \text{ hours} = 1.75 \text{ inches/hour} \times 24 \text{ hours} = 42 \text{ inches} \]
Therefore, if the pace continues, a total of 42 inches of snow is expected to fall over the next 24 hours.