Some volatile weather is heading toward the Chicago area in coming days, with a winter storm watch issued for suburban McHenry County later this week.
According to the National Weather Service, that watch will begin at 3 a.m. Thursday and run through 9 p.m. that evening.
According to the alert, heavy, wet snow is possible in areas impacted by the watch, which include Winnebago, Boone, Ogle and McHenry counties.
Total accumulations could exceed six inches in some places, along with minor ice accumulations, but warm surface temperatures caused by the above-average warmth and sunshine the area has received in recent days could help to tamp down how much of the snow will actually stick, according to the NBC 5 Storm team.
Still, with wind gusts in excess of 35 miles per hour and the heavy rate at which the snow will fall, travel conditions could still be impacted by the storm, according to NWS officials.
Most of the snow that could fall with the approaching system will likely remain north of the Jane Addams Tollway, with other parts of the area seeing gusty winds and rain, which could be heavy at times.
Temperatures are expected to drop late Wednesday and into Thursday, with highs in the low-40s on Thursday before dipping into the upper-20s by Friday.
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The National Weather Service has also issued a wind advisory for the entirety of northern Illinois and northwest Indiana ahead of that approaching system. That will begin at midnight and run through noon on Wednesday.
According to the alert, sustained southwest winds of 20-to-25 miles per hour are expected, and gusts of up to 50 miles per hour could occur at times.
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Those winds could make travel difficult for high-profile vehicles on north-south roadways, and motorists are urged to use caution.
The wind will coincide with the arrival of showers on Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, with a few embedded thunderstorms possible, according to forecast models.
