To find out how many total inches will fall over the next 24 hours if the pace continues, we need to determine the rate of snowfall per hour.
The rate of snowfall per hour can be found by dividing the total snowfall (7 inches) by the time period (4 hours):
Rate of snowfall per hour = Total snowfall / Time period
Rate of snowfall per hour = 7 inches / 4 hours
Rate of snowfall per hour = 1.75 inches/hour
Now, we can calculate the total snowfall over the next 24 hours by multiplying the rate of snowfall per hour by the number of hours:
Total snowfall over the next 24 hours = Rate of snowfall per hour × Number of hours
Total snowfall over the next 24 hours = 1.75 inches/hour × 24 hours
Total snowfall over the next 24 hours = 42 inches
Therefore, if the pace of 1.75 inches per hour continues, a total of 42 inches of snow will fall over the next 24 hours.