After a day in the 50s, Chicago area expected to be hit with winter storm of sleet, freezing rain and up to 7 inches of snow

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- After a day in the 50s, the Chicago area is expected to get hit with sleet, freezing rain and snow as temperatures steadily drop Thursday.

As much as 7 inches of snow could fall in some parts of the Chicago area and many roads could be glazed over by ice, the National Weather Service said.

It has issued a winter storm warning from 3 a.m. until 9 p.m. Thursday for southern Cook County as well as Grundy, Kankakee, Kendall, La Salle, Livingston and Will counties in Illinois and Lake and Porter counties in Indiana.

A winter weather advisory has been issued for northern and central Cook County as well as DuPage and DeKalb counties from 3 a.m. until 6 p.m. Thursday.

Freezing rain and sleet will start late Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Heavy snowfall is expected Thursday afternoon into the evening, with accumulations of 3 to 7 inches, the weather service said.

After a day in the 50s, Chicago area expected to be hit with winter storm of sleet, freezing rain and up to 7 inches of snow
Map of Thursday's snowfall potential in Chicagoland. Photo credit National Weather Service -- Chicago

Wind gusts as high as 40 mph are expected throughout the day.

Temperatures will drop to around 14 Thursday night, with wind chills as low as minus-2.

Before the storm hits, temperatures are expected to reach as high as 53 on Wednesday.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire & Chicago Sun-Times 2022. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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