...WINTER STORM TO IMPACT PARTS OF THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT
THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING...
A RAPIDLY STRENGTHENING STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE AREA
WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND TRACK ACROSS ILLINOIS AND NORTHERN INDIANA
THURSDAY. RAIN IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF THIS
SYSTEM WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WITH SNOW POSSIBLE OVER NORTHWEST
ILLINOIS. AS THE SYSTEM MOVES NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA
THURSDAY...COLDER AIR IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE PRECIPITATION OVER TO
ALL SNOW ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS BY MIDDAY...AND ACROSS
NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA THURSDAY AFTERNOON. SNOW
WILL TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST THURSDAY NIGHT.
THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL LIKELY ACCUMULATE TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE
STORM TRACK. THIS WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WOULD
OCCUR ACROSS EASTERN IOWA...NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL
ILLINOIS...AND WISCONSIN. HOWEVER...MUCH OF THE AREA...INCLUDING
CHICAGO...IS FAVORED TO SEE SOME ACCUMULATING SNOW BY THURSDAY
AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING...WITH CHANGES IN THE TRACK OF THE LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM HAVING A SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE ON OVERALL
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. A TRACK SOUTHEAST OF CHICAGO WOULD RESULT IN
MORE SNOW AREA WIDE...WHILE A TRACK OVER OR NORTH OF CHICAGO WOULD
RESULT IN MUCH LESS SNOWFALL.
WHILE THERE REMAINS QUITE A BIT OF UNCERTAINTY ON SNOWFALL
DURATION AND AMOUNTS...ONE ASPECT THAT LOOKS HIGHLY LIKELY IS
THAT THE WEST NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BECOME STRONG ON THURSDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. GUSTS SHOULD BE UP TO 40 TO 50 MPH AND
POSSIBLY EVEN STRONGER. WHERE SNOW DOES OCCUR...THESE WIND SPEEDS
WILL LEAD TO BLOWING SNOW AND LIKELY SEVERELY REDUCED
VISIBILITIES.
ANYONE WHO PLANS ON TRAVELING ACROSS THE MIDWEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT
THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR DIFFICULT TRAVEL...
ESPECIALLY FOR AREAS WEST AND NORTH OF CHICAGO. IT IS IMPORTANT TO
MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS ON THIS POTENTIAL WINTER STORM. IN
ADDITION...THIS STORM MAY SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT AIR TRAVEL THROUGH
CHICAGO OHARE AND CHICAGO MIDWAY AIRPORTS.
