A winter storm moving into the Chicago area Sunday could leave more than a quarter inch of ice glazed onto trees, power lines and sidewalks, forecasters warn.

 

The coming storm has prompted forecasters to issue a winter storm warning from Sunday morning through late Sunday night for all of northeastern Illinois and northwest Indiana, according to the National Weather Service.

 

Freezing rain mixed with sleet will gradually turn to rain Sunday night as temperatures gradually rise above freezing, the weather service said.

 

But because the soil and pavement temperatures will remain below freezing, any rain will freeze instantly, turning sidewalks and roadways into sheets of ice, forecasters say.

 

The ice and increasing winds could also bring down tree limbs and power lines, causing power outages. In all, the storm would leave more than a quarter of an inch of accumulated ice.

 

Saturday will stay sunny with highs in the lower and mid 20s until late afternoon, when clouds move in. Overnight lows will remain steady around 20.

 

Sunday will see highs in the lower 30s and a 90 percent chance of precipitation, before temperatures rise through the night to the mid and upper 30s.

© Copyright 2013 Sun-Times Media, LLC