A winter storm has its sights set on the Chicago area Thursday, with snow expected to bring potentially hazardous travel conditions.
The storm system is expected to bring differing conditions depending on where you live, with some areas expecting inches of snowfall while others anticipating near blizzard conditions.
Here's the latest:
Thursday Afternoon
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A weather advisory was issued for Cook, DuPage, La Salle, Kendall, Kane and parts of Will counties from noon to 9 p.m. Thursday.
The National Weather Service warned that roads will likely become slippery, while patchy blowing snow could reduce visibility, especially during evening commutes.
A winter storm warning remains in effect until 9 p.m. Thursday for Grundy, Kankakee, Livingston and parts of Will counties in Illinois, as well as Lake, Ford, Newton and Jasper counties in Indiana.
Local
Some areas in Indiana could see "near white out conditions" at times, causing "extremely dangerous" travel conditions Thursday afternoon, officials warned.
The National Weather Service tweeted an update on the winter storm system hitting the Midwest Thursday, saying forecasts have now shifted to predict most snow will arrive south of Interstate 80 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Chicago will still likely see snow, despite the storm taking a primarily southern track, according to the NBC 5 Storm Team.
NBC 5 Meteorologist Paul Deanno predicted strong winter and snow causing low visibility Thursday between 2 and 6 p.m.
Thursday Evening
Most the snow is expected to fall before 6 p.m., according to the latest weather models. Officials recommend staying off roads as much as possible between 2 and 5 p.m.
The Storm Team predicts the following snowfall totals for Thursday night and Friday morning:
- Far northwest suburbs: 1-2 inches
- Northwest metro area: 2-3 inches
- Chicago: 2-4 inches
- Southeast metro area: 3-5 inches
- Far southern counties and northwest Indiana: 5-9 inches
Friday and the Weekend
After the winter system leaves the Chicago area, Friday will likely be partly cloudy and cold with highs in the mid-20s and low 30s. A slight chance for flurries arrives later in the day.
Overall, the weekend will likely remain dry and sunny with highs in the mid-20s on Saturday and in the mid-40s on Sunday.
