Travel impacts from the latest blizzard continue into our Tuesday morning. As of 4:00AM , roads in a few Stateline counties including Stephenson, Carroll, and DeKalb County remain completely covered in snow and ice, especially in open areas. If you're heading out, be sure to use extra caution.
St. Patrick's Day:
If you plan to celebrate St. Patrick's Day even further, make sure to bundle up. The bitter cold settling in behind Monday's blizzard will make for a harsh start to the day, with wind chills hovering around 10° below zero. Even by this afternoon, wind chills will only "improve" to about 10°, and high temperatures will struggle to reach the 20° mark. Cloud cover will gradually increase into the evening as our next storm system approaches from the northwest.
Snow Chances Return:
Forecast models show this weaker system sliding in overnight tonight, bringing the chance for scattered snow showers ahead of Wednesday's morning commute. While this won't be a major storm or compare to Monday's blizzard, it will be enough to lay down widespread 1"-3" totals. Expect slick and potentially slow travel early Wednesday. Overnight lows will briefly drop into the upper teens, then climb back into the 20s by Wednesday morning.
We continue to see scattered snow showers and flurries fly across the skies here in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin thanks to an upper-level disturbance passing down the western Great Lakes. While this won't amount to much in the snowfall department, it will cause visibility to fall within the narrow, but at times intense, snow bands. Any additional accumulations from these are expected to remain minor, but hazardous travel will be likely through early Tuesday.
On top of the light snow we have coming down, winds are still gusty from time to time from the northwest. This has led to continued blowing and drifting snow, causing snow to blow back over roads and ice over.
Northwest winds will remain gusty around 20 mph through the night and into early Tuesday morning, so icy and slick conditions are likely to continue at least for some of the morning commute.
UPDATE: The Winter Weather Advisory has been extended until Midnight for all of our northern Illinois counties. Blowing snow will reduce visibility down under a mile in many locations, especially the open and rural areas. Snow covered and slippery road conditions will persist through the night, and most likely into Tuesday morning.
PREVIOUS UPDATE: A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect for most of southern Wisconsin, with the exception of Walworth County where the Blizzard Warning is still in place, and for northern Illinois until 4pm for Stephenson, Jo Daviess, Carroll, and Whiteside counties in northwest Illinois, as well as for Rock and Green counties in southern Wisconsin. It is in effect until 7pm for Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, Lee, DeKalb and McHenry counties. This replaces the Blizzard Warning that had been in effect for the viewing area.
While most of the accumulating snowfall is done there are still some snow showers falling over portions of southern Wisconsin and northeast Illinois early Monday afternoon. Only minor accumulations are expected from that.
Northwest winds will continue to gust from time to time between 30-40 mph and this combined with the freshly fallen snow will keep blowing and drifting snow a concern through the evening. This will be especially true in the open and rural areas where near ground blizzard/whiteout conditions can be expected. On some of the main interstates and highways the snow has melted, but it is still wet and slushy. And in some open areas there is still blowing snow, at some points covering either one or both of the lanes. You are still going to want to remain cautious throughout the day as slick and, in some areas hazardous, travel remains a concern. Remain alert for quickly changing road conditions through the evening commute.
On roads that are still snow/ice covered they will remain slick through the night and into Tuesday morning as temperatures drop into the single digits tonight and wind chills fall below zero.
Radar imagery continues to depict the heaviest snow focused along the I-39 corridor as of 4AM.
Winds are steadily increasing as this storm system moves into and intensifies over the Great Lakes. This will likely result in treacherous and dangerous travel conditions throughout the morning.
The entire Stateline areas remains under a Blizzard Warning until 1PM this afternoon.
Travel Impacts:
Per IDOT and WIDOT, roads across the region are completely snow-covered. During my travels, the roads were completely snow-covered, particularly once outside the city limits.
The worst will be during the morning hours, primarily before mid-morning where snowfall rates could be as high as 1" to 1.5" per hour.
This, along with winds up to 45-55 mph will likely leave visibility under one mile for many, nearing white-out conditions. This will also make blowing and drifting snow a big concern. So PLEASE take it slow if you must be out this morning.
Snowfall rates will gradually lower as we approach midday, staying below .50" per hour this afternoon. Extra caution is still warranted for those traveling as winds remain quite breezy into the evening commute later today. Snow showers will finally taper off this evening, leaving us with decreasing clouds overnight. This will result in a VERY cold start to our Tuesday, leaving overnight lows in the single digits and wind chills below zero. Values could be as low as -10 degrees.
Next Snow Chance:
Models showcase another chance for snow showers arriving late Tuesday into Wednesday. Fortunately, this is a much weaker system so it won't amount to what we are waking up to this morning.
[12:15AM MONDAY] Just measured about 1-2" of snow outside of WTVO as of 12AM. We are in a bit of a lull between waves of steadier snowfall right now, with snow expected to pick up again over the next hour or two. This will coincide with an increase in winds pushing 40-50 mph, likely driving the worst visibility and driving conditions of the night through 6-8AM.
[11:20PM] Road conditions, snowfall rates, and visibilities continue to deteriorate late Sunday night. Most Stateline roads are now reported as "completely" snow/ice covered with snow still falling at a good clip. Visibility is under one mile for many, nearing white-out conditions. PLEASE take it slow if you must be out tonight or early Monday morning. BLIZZARD WARNINGS remain in effect through Monday afternoon.
[9:30PM] Snowfall continues to spread over the Stateline, with only a little bit of lingering mix far to the East. Road conditions and visibility are deteriorating rapidly, with partly to mostly snow-covered roads in many spots and visibility down near or below a mile. Conditions will continue to deteriorate quickly through the night.
[8:30PM] RADAR: Most in the Stateline along and West of I-39 have flipped over to snow, with some pockets of heavier snow developing within. Further East hasn't transitioned to snow just yet with some sleet and rain in DeKalb and McHenry Counties. Where snow has begun to fall, visibility is already below 2 miles.
[7:30PM] HEADLINE UPDATE: Southern Wisconsin was also converted over to a Blizzard Warning which is now in effect through Monday afternoon. Northern Illinois Counties including Winnebago, Ogle, Lee, and areas East will see their Blizzard Warning go into effect at 10PM and also run through Monday afternoon.
[7:00PM] HEADLINE UPDATE: The Winter Storm Warning for Northern IL which was set to begin at 7PM was upgraded to a Blizzard Warning which will now begin at 10PM. This was extended to include McHenry & DeKalb Counties as well. The Winter Storm Warning in Southern WI remains in effect. All hazards run through the night and into early/mid afternoon Monday.
[6:00PM] Precipitation has begun to ease up a bit for many in the Stateline with the "dry slot" of the weather system moving overhead. That will quickly be filled back in with heavy snow from the West, with visibility near zero in some locations in Eastern Iowa. Snow is expected to begin for Northwestern Illinois around 7PM, moving into North-Central Illinois by 8-10PM and Northeastern Illinois around 10-11PM.
[3:30PM] Most in the Stateline continue to see liquid precipitation, radar is indicating we may see some wintry mix or heavy snow beginning to fall in Southern Wisconsin and Northern Jo Daviess County. We may see an hour or two window of lighter precipitation and/or a wintry mix, but heavy snow expected to take over between 5-10PM from Northwest to Southeast.
[2:30PM] FORECAST UPDATE: Things are still generally on track this evening, but temperatures have been dropping a touch quicker than initially expected.
I don't quite think that flips us over to snow just yet, as temperatures are still above freezing through the first few thousand feet above the surface. But as temperatures near the ground cool quicker, we may see some periods of sleet or freezing rain this afternoon. That said, we have already changed over to snow in Green County, WI where some thundersnow has been reported! Accumulations will be slow at first given the warm and wet ground.
I'm still watching one storm cell in particular producing lightning in Eastern Whiteside County, moving into Ogle and Lee Counties as of 2:30PM. This storm is capable of producing some small hail and gusty winds but remains below severe limits at this time.
Surfaces will cool quickly this evening, but there may be some periods of dry time between the heavy rain/mix before we fully switch over to the snow machine. Either way, I think we are all snow by 10-11PM for most, and that initial wave of snow will pack a punch with increasing winds, potentially gusting above 45 mph, particularly West of I-39. Visibility will likely drop below a mile and at times, down to a half mile. Heaviest snow lasts through 6-8AM before winding down midday Monday. Blowing and drifting snow will remain a concern into the afternoon.
Southern Wisconsin Counties are now under a WINTER STORM WARNING that will run through Monday afternoon. A BLIZZARD WARNING will go into effect for NW Illinois beginning at 7PM. North Central Illinois will go under a WINTER STORM WARNING at 7PM, while Northeastern Illinois will be under a WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY starting at 10PM.
I'm still expecting between 2-6" of snow for the large majority of the area, with pockets of higher totals North and West of Rockford. There is likely a sharp cutoff of snowfall South of the area, limiting totals the further Southeast of Rockford you get.
Even though totals may not be all that impressive for a winter storm, the winds will be the big driver behind impacts, with major visibility issues overnight and blowing snow through Monday. Stay tuned for updates through the night!
Over the next 24 hours a strong low-pressure system will through the Midwest and Upper Great Lakes bringing multiple impacts to different regions. Some areas are already experiencing heavy snowfall this morning, however here across the state line we'll be expecting not only snow, but rain/thunderstorms, and possible blizzard like conditions into tomorrow morning.
Initially through the morning and early afternoon today multiple rounds of both showers and possible thunderstorms will move through the region. This will be on the warmer side of the low-pressure system as our temperatures will be in the mid 50's. If we build some instability this afternoon, a few rumbles of thunder will be possible however even without instability, rain showers will pack a punch today with any shower carrying the potential of wind gusts between 40-50 mph. If thunderstorms do develop as well (likely past 12 p.m.) an isolated severe thunderstorm can't be ruled out with the main risk being damaging wind gusts (60+ mph).
By the late afternoon and into early evening we'll see the cold front with this system quickly approach which will plummet our temperatures this evening. As this happens a bit of dry air at the surface may give us a brief break in precipitation, however if we keep some moisture around some mixed precipitation may begin to fall near 7-9 p.m. Once we cool our temperatures enough though, we'll expect heavy snowfall at times through the overnight hours combining that with wind gusts over 40 mph.
Most of our winter weather alerts into this evening are focused on the time period beyond our switch to mix precipitation later. As we switch over to snowfall wind gusts will remain in excess of 40 mph while heavy snowfall may amount to 2-6" here across the state line while areas to the north and west may see locally higher totals near 4-8". Because of this, most of the region is under Winter Storm Watches/Warnings (excluding Dekalb and McHenry Counties) including Blizzard Warnings for Stephenson, Jo Davies, Whiteside, and Carroll counties as heavy snowfall and strong winds will promote blowing and drifting snow leading to reduced visibility into the overnight hours.
As we switch over to snow this evening, visibility will quickly drop through the nighttime. As our heaviest snow is falling our wind gusts will also begin to peak with wind gusts through the overnight hours potentially reaching 50+ mph. This will significantly impact both visibility and driving conditions with visibility expected to drop near 1/4 mile at times. If you do plan on driving overnight or tomorrow morning, take things extremely cautious and allow plenty of extra time for travel.
Now in terms of snowfall totals this won't be the primary focus of the system as both the heavy snowfall and strong wind gusts promoting reduced visibility will certainly be the biggest impact from this system. However, most of the region can expect 2-6" of snowfall while areas near and north of Jo Davies County may see local totals of 6" or more. It's certainly going to be an interesting and active 24 hours! Make sure to stay in tune with the changing forecast during this time.
11PM HEADLINE UPDATE: Green and Rock Counties in Southern Wisconsin were upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning, while Walworth County was converted over to a Winter Weather Advisory. Higher snowfall accumulations will be expected further West, leading to more significant winter impacts. Blowing and drifting snow remains a concern across the map, regardless of how much snow actually falls.
Dynamic weather system brings storm threat, blizzard conditions in less than 24 hours Sunday into Monday: General impacts of this system remain unchanged, but the headlines have been updated, including a BLIZZARD WARNING for Northwestern Illinois. Below is a timeline highlighting the precipitation types and winds expected through the duration of this storm system.
It is still looking like we will see rain and a few storms through the morning and afternoon on Sunday, with an isolated severe risk for a storm or two to produce wind gusts in excess of 60 mph. Outside of storms, winds will be gusting between 30-40 mph through the afternoon.
Sunday afternoon and evening will begin the transition over to freezing precipitation, and it will be a rather quick transition. We may see a period of heavy sleet during this time as well. Northwestern parts of the area may flip over to sleet as early as 5PM, while further South and East don't change over until 7-8PM.
Everyone is fully in the snow machine by 10PM-12AM, with some very heavy snow shortly after snow begins through early Monday morning. North-Northwest wind gusts during this time will be increasing further, pushing near 40-50 mph at times, and possibly higher for some of the Western counties. That will significantly reduce visibility, likely below a mile and at times, below a half mile. Near white-out conditions possible. The worst time for travel will be between 10PM-6AM Monday.
Snow showers will ease up through mid-day Monday, ending by late afternoon or evening. Blowing and drifting snow will remain a concern into the afternoon as winds remain strong gradually shifting to the NW at 40-50 mph.
Jo Daiviess, Stephenson, Carroll, and Whiteside Counties in NW Illinois have been upgraded to a BLIZZARD WARNING that will run Sunday evening through Monday afternoon. Southern Wisconsin and North-Central Illinois remain under the WINTER STORM WATCH that also runs Sunday into Monday (times vary).
Most of the area will see between 2-6" of snow, with the higher end of those totals North and West of Rockford. But even 2" of snow will blow and drift around significantly with these winds, so we continue to emphasize impacts over totals. Open roads may become hazardous to impassable Sunday night through Monday morning, so be sure to plan travel around that potential. The Monday morning commute will likely be significantly impacted. Continue to stay tuned for updates throughout the day tomorrow and stay safe everyone!
