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.
According to the alert, the watch will take effect Thursday evening and will remain in effect until Friday night.
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.
While forecasts are unclear as to how much snow may actually fall, with the storm still potentially taking several different paths to arrive in the Midwest, what is known is that a snow event will coincide with fierce winds Thursday and into Friday.
The National Weather Service says that “blizzard conditions are possible” with the storm, with some wind gusts exceeding 50 miles per hour.
As a result, travel will become difficult, if not impossible, during the height of the storm, and power outages will be possible due to the hazardous conditions.
“White-out conditions” can be expected on area roadways, leaving visibility levels at or near zero.
After the storm passes through the area, frigid 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.