Chicago is bracing for another round of challenging winter weather this weekend, as forecasts predict a mix of snow, rain, sleet, and ice across the region. According to the National Weather Service, today's partly sunny skies and high near 30 will give way to increasing clouds, with temperatures dipping to around 26 tonight. The weather shift is expected to commence Saturday with a possible cocktail of freezing rain before noon, then likely snow and freezing rain, the high is hovering near 33 degrees.

Following a light icing event that affected the region midweek, causing slick conditions and a spate of accidents, the city remains on alert. Several hospitals reported a high volume of injuries from ice-induced slips and falls, which shows the impact of these conditions on public safety. While Friday is expected to remain dry, with more tolerable winds under 15 miles per hour, as reported by NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman, Saturday morning will usher in another system producing a wintry mix, with ice accumulation less than 0.1 of an inch and snow accumulation of less than a half inch likely.

"That leaves northeastern Illinois right in the middle once again," Roman said in a statement obtained by NBC Chicago, indicating the high probability of a varied mix of precipitation for the area. Furthermore, the impact on travel could be significant; "At least a glaze of ice and some spotty snow accumulations of less than half an inch are possible, leading to slippery travel and walking conditions," according to National Weather Service cautions.

As the weekend progresses, the weather system is predicted to shift eastward around early afternoon, yet snow is expected to linger in Illinois into the evening. Temperatures on Sunday will see a slight dip to the low 30s. Looking ahead to next week, temperatures are forecasted to remain in the upper 20s to low 30s, with more snow chances on Tuesday and Wednesday, creating a persistent pattern of winter weather concerns for the Chicago area.