Icy Conditions To Keep Roads Slick Before Snow Rolls In

CHICAGO (STMW) -- Icy conditions will keep roadways slick in the Chicago area before a major winter storm is expected to move into town Saturday afternoon.

Winter weather advisories from the National Weather Service will go into effect for DuPage and Cook Counties at 2 p.m. through 10 p.m. Advisories for LaSalle, Kendall, Grundy and Will counties are scheduled from noon to 10 p.m.

Advisories for Lake and Kane counties begin at 4 p.m. and last through 10 a.m. Sunday.

Forecasters say the latest winter storm will usher rain, sleet, snow or all of the above into the area starting this afternoon. The storm's course remains uncertain, but several inches of snow could possibly fall in the far northern suburbs, the weather service said.

Saturday carries a 100 percent chance of precipitation, and the snow will continue through Sunday, the weather service said. The city and southern suburbs could also see lesser amounts of snow.

Meanwhile, the same storm could bring heavy rain to northwest Indiana. Forecasters warn small creeks and streams jammed with ice could flood there.

The winter weather is hitting us just as the busiest travel time of the year heats up, with about 4 million holiday travellers expected to pass through Chicago's two airports by Jan. 6, according to the city's Department of Aviation

As of 8:30 p.m. Friday, all flights at O'Hare were delayed about 30 minutes, and some flights at Midway were 30 minutes or more behind schedule due to low visibility in Chicago, the department said.

However, most people traveling for the holiday season will drive, with 4.9 million people in Illinois expected to dive 50 miles or more from home between Saturday and New Year's Day, the AAA travel club predicts.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)