(Courtesy of Nenad Spasojevic)

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch Saturday for a storm system that could bring up to 8 inches of snow to the Chicago area.

The watch will take effect Saturday morning and last through late Saturday night, according to NWS, and could generate 4 to 8 inches of wet, heavy snow.

Winds could gust as high 35 mph, resulting in reduced visibility and hazardous travel, says NWS.During the heaviest parts of the storm, NWS says snowfall rates could approach 1 to 2 inches per hour.

Cook, McHenry, Kane, Lake and DuPage counties are included in the watch.

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