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Chicago Braces For Winter Storm; More Than 8 Inches Possible North And West Of City

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago's first snowfall of the season was coming Friday night, and for some areas – especially north and west of the city – the first winter storm could be a big one.

A winter storm warning has been issued for Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Winnebago, and 14 other counties in northern Illinois from 9 p.m. Friday through 3 p.m. Saturday. A winter weather advisory has been issued for Grundy, Will, Kankakee, and 10 other counties in Illinois; and for Lake and Porter counties in Indiana from midnight Friday night through 3 p.m. Saturday.

The storm was expected to begin as a rain/snow mix Friday night, after the evening commute, and then transition to only snow overnight. Snow will continue through the night, and will be heavy at times, before clearing Saturday afternoon.

The heaviest snowfall was expected to be north of I-80, with 6 to 8 inches possible in some western and northern suburbs, and 8 to 10 inches possible in some areas such as Rockford, Waukegan, and DeKalb. Accumulations across northwestern Cook County could be between 4 and 8 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

Chicago, the southern and southwestern suburbs, and Indiana's lakefront are likely to see 2 to 5 inches, while most of the rest of northwest Indiana will see 1 to 2 inches.

It also will be the coldest weekend the Chicago area has seen in nine months. Friday started off in the high 20s and low 30s across the region, and the high was expected to reach only around 43. Saturday and Sunday will be even colder, with a high of about 34 on Saturday, before plunging into the teens Saturday night, and then getting up only to the high 20s on Sunday.

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