Slippery travel, sub-zero wind chills likely for Friday morning's commute

The Stateline saw another round of light and powdery snow overnight, enough to create more headaches for those traveling during the early morning hours. 

Even though we saw the conclusion of our snow chances well ahead of the morning commute, winds will remain quite strong Friday morning. Considering the dry nature of the snow and the fact that gusts could peak around 30 mph, blowing and drifting will be a big concern. Especially for those morning commuters that travel in open areas.  

Behind last night's quick-moving system will also be another dose of cold arctic air. One that will drop wind chills well below zero not only this morning, but Saturday and Sunday morning. 

So before you head out the door, make sure to dress appropriately by adding a few extra layers to keep you insulated and warm. These gusty northwesterly winds stay put for Friday afternoon, limiting high temperatures to the upper single-digits. 

Wind chill values look to drop even lower overnight into Saturday morning. For that, the National Weather Service has placed all of northern Illinois as well as Green and Rock County up in S. Wisconsin under a WIND CHILL ADVISORY. 

The portion that includes Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, Lee, and DeKalb County will run from 12AM to 9AM Saturday. Jo-Daviess, Carroll, Stephenson, and Whiteside County will be under said advisory from 3AM to 9AM. Wind chills up until mid-morning could be as low as -25, posing the risk for frostbite within 30 minutes.

An area of high pressure that has ties to the Arctic will inch closer as Saturday progresses. This will likely leave skies sun-filled, with temperatures barely peaking in double-digit figures. 

As this Arctic high pressure system slides overhead, it will bring the core of this frigidly cold air with it. This will allow temperatures and wind chill values to fall well below zero come Sunday morning. 

On a positive note, temperatures by Sunday afternoon will end up close to the 20-degree mark. And the warm up doesn't stop there. Early next week features highs in the low to mid 30s, which if you punch that into a calculator lands 20 to 25 degrees warmer than highs today and Saturday.