Snow Cover vs. Temperatures

Here's a look at current snow depth across the region. The Rockford area is sitting in the 2-4" range, with Freeport and much of the northwestern part of the state at 4-8". However, just to our south and east there is no snowcover in the Chicago metro area and along the I-80 corridor. With temperatures at or just above freezing over the next couple of days during the afternoon, the snowcover will slowly decay. As it does so, we may see snow-free areas several degrees warmer than areas with snow. (This is because snow reflects sunlight and insulates the air from the relative warmth of the ground.) This impact would be most noticable in the afternoon.