As a winter storm approaches, Chicago residents can expect a mix of heavy rain, sleet, and snow in the coming days, potentially causing travel issues and flooding.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for the following Illinois counties early Thursday morning until the evening: La Salle, Kendall, Grundy, Kankakee, Livingston, parts of Cook, and sections of Will. In Indiana, the warning was also issued for Lake and Porter counties.

The advisory will be in effect from 3 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Thursday.

A period of accumulating freezing rain and sleet is forecast late Wednesday night into Thursday morning, according to the advisory. By Thursday afternoon, the rain and sleet will have turned into heavy snowfall, with accumulations ranging from 1 to 8 inches.

Officials predict that more than an inch of snow will fall per hour in Chicago at points Thursday afternoon, followed by wind gusts of up to 40 mph.

From Wednesday night through Thursday evening, a winter storm watch was issued for DeKalb, Kane, DuPage, Cook, LaSalle, Kendall, Grundy, Will, and Kankakee counties in Illinois, as well as Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, and Jasper counties in Indiana.

A wind advisory is in place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday in DuPage, La Salle, Kendall, Grundy, Kankakee, Livingston, portions of Cook and parts of Will counties in Illinois, as well as Lake, Porter, Newton, and Jasper counties in Indiana.