Messy & Shaky Traveling Conditions Ahead of Thanksgiving

This morning is what I called "the calm before the storm" as all of this morning was nice and quiet. We even had a yet another beautiful sunrise to welcome us into our Tuesday. However. the quiet weather doesn't last for long as rain chances ramp up going into this afternoon, followed by a windy day tomorrow. A large system is developing across the High Plains as we speak, bringing with it blizzard conditions to parts of Colorado and Wyoming. Even a good chunk of the Upper Midwest has been placed under Winter Storm Warnings. Fortunately, we are on the warmer side of what is to become a strong low pressure system. So I am happy to say that we won’t be dealing with any snow before the Thanksgiving holiday, but rain and gusty winds could slow you down.

Model guidance suggest that rain chances begin early this afternoon. This event will start out as light showers. But as more moisture is filtered into the atmosphere, a few moderate to heavy pockets of rain are not out of the question. Rain looks to become heavier by the time the evening commute arrives. So if you are traveling this afternoon, be sure to leave plenty of time for your drive. As we move further into tonight, rain and even a few isolated thunderstorms are possible. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has areas south of Rockford under a marginal risk (level 1 out of 5) for severe weather.

Severe storms are going to remain very isolated. If any storm does jump into the severe criteria, strong winds of up to 50 mph are the biggest concern. Rain should begin to taper off by sunrise Wednesday morning, as we enter the dry slot of the low pressure system. This is the part of the storm that helps transport drier air into the atmosphere above us. Overall, as a half an inch to one-inch of rain is possible. After rain chances taper off, wind and falling temperatures headline the remainder of the day.And the wind could make any holiday travels a little bumpy at times.

A high wind watch goes into effect for all of our counties in northern Illinois around 6 AM tomorrow morning, lasting until 6 PM. Wednesday. The rest of our viewing area, Green, Rock, and Walworth counties up in southern Wisconsin, will be placed under a Wind Advisory from 8 AM to 6 PM tomorrow. Wind gusts could be as high as 60 miles per hour at times. Power outages and downed trees are a distinct possibility with strong winds like these. These events are going to be isolated in nature, but definitely not something you want right before the holiday. Winds that strong can impact travel, especially on north-to-south roads. Be sure you’ve got a firm grip on the steering wheel. Winds begin to diminish by tomorrow evening, but remain breezy during the overnight.