Chicago, Jan 2 (IANS): A winter storm system hit Chicago, with snow accumulations expected to reach four to seven inches and wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

A winter storm warning was issued shortly after 11 a.m. Saturday and remains in effect until 6 a.m. Sunday for portions of Northwest Indiana and Northeast Illinois, reports Xinhua news agency.

A hazardous weather outlook was also issued for portions of North Central Illinois, Northeast Illinois and Northwest Indiana, cautioning of ice and slippery roadways, the Chicago Tribune reported on Saturday.

In Chicago and surrounding areas, the storm began as rain in south of the city before it changed to wet heavy snow that was expected to fall through midnight Sunday.

Chicago Department of Street and Sanitation deployed more than 200 salt trucks Saturday to sweep the roads.

Weather officials said heavy snow would hit large sections of the nation possibly in the Central Plains, Mid-Mississippi Valley and the Lower Great Lakes.

Arctic air would move into the region after the storm, when temperatures may plunge into subzero and the wind chills below zero, weather officials said.