(Chicago Thanksgiving Parade / Facebook)

Conditions for a potential winter storm never materialized, which should make for largely pleasant travel conditions this Thanksgiving.

For those hitting the roads Wednesday, the Chicago office of the National Weather Service is forecasting mostly dry conditions and temperatures maxing out in the 40s.

Some lake effect rain or snow is possible Wednesday evening in northeast Illinois, shifting to northwest Indiana overnight into Thursday. Accumulations, if any, are expected to be minimal, according to the weather service.

The big story will be the temperatures, which will drop Friday into the 20s, with overnight lows in the teens. The cold pattern will stick around for the entire holiday weekend.

Folks returning late in the evening Sunday could encounter lake effect snow in northwest Indiana, but the chance is currently only pegged at 20%. 

(National Weather Service Chicago)

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