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 asGrundy, 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 from3 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.
Wind gusts ashigh 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.
