Chicago's area should get lake enhancement which the models are sometimes too coarse to pick up. I wouldn't worry too much I could see most of that metro getting 3-6"
Usually the low tracks south of the snow pack, it's not always but with sliders W-E it does more often than not. Also too the storm Wednesday will leave back some blocked/confluence too, which is why it is more on a W-E path.
We can stop with the shifting NW, like nothing has all winter and now we get a potential storm and its rocketing NW. I don't want an ice storm nor do I want cold rain.
The system next weekend on the GFS is the most nonsensical thing I have seen 16-22 here in temp and sleet/freezing rain. That system even has 700mb temps near or above 0°.
Unlike the previous patterns, this is a Texas low pattern which is our favored pattern for the region. We aren't dealing with suppression either. It's not NW flow moisture starved unphased systems either. This pattern has the potential to be pretty good starting with this storm.