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Chicago Weather: Calm Before The 'High Impact' Weekend Storm

CHICAGO (CBS)-- Friday is the calm before the weekend storm. The National Weather Service is calling this latest system "a high impact event" even though it is coming on a weekend as opposed to the work week.

The National Weather Service has declared a Winter Storm Warning.

Snow arrives late Saturday and lasts through Sunday with several inches possible, on the order of 5 to 9 inches north of I-80, with the heaviest amounts in the city and northward along the lakeshore.

 

There could be a mix at times south of the city. Some isolated totals could reach 10 inches. Lake effect snow on Sunday could add to the totals.

The heaviest downfall of snow, at a rate of 1 or 2 inches per hour, is expected to happen overnight Saturday into Sunday. However, the timing of that could change because the system is still in California as of Friday morning. The storm is dropping several feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The snow will be wet and heavy, much like the storm earlier in the week. The heavy, dense snow could also reduce visibility to as little as one-quarter of a mile.

Winds could be gusting from the east at up to 35 miles per hour, creating a high wave and flood risk along Lake Michigan.

Areas to the south may stay under a Winter Storm Watch due to more of a rain snow mix and lesser snow totals.

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