Winter storm to hit Chicago area, warnings issued

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for the entire Chicago area, with “blizzard conditions” and wind gusts in excess of 50 miles per hour possible later this week.

As per the alert, the watch will take effect this Thursday evening only to remain until Friday night. 

While forecasters are really not sure as to how much snow might actually fall, with the storm still potentially taking up several different paths to arrive in the Midwest. 

McHenry, Lake, DeKalb, Kane, DuPage, LaSalle, Kendall, Grundy and Kankakee counties are all included in the watch, as are Indiana’s Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton and Jasper counties.

As a result travel might be hampered and power outages are possible. 

“White-out conditions” can be expected on area roadways, leaving visibility levels at or near zero.

After the storm passes through the area, frigid and cold temperatures are expected,  with highs potentially dropping into the single digits over the weekend.

Stay tuned to the NBC 5 News for all the latest forecasts, or download the NBC Chicago app for up-to-date information and radar.