Updated snowfall totals

Other than a few flurries or lighter snow showers, most of the snow is done!  Totals across Northern Illinois range between 2" and 4" while Southern Wisconsin has picked up closer to an 1" to 2".  The clouds will continue to break into the overnight, but where there are still clouds expect flurries to continue into Sunday morning.  A few upper level disturbances moving through will keep the threat for lighter snow through early Sunday, however, additional accumulations are not expected.

Here's a look at some of the preliminary snowfall totals we've received so far this evening.  The snow that came down was very light and fluffy because the snow to liquid ratios were relatively high.  The 'average' snow to liquid ratio is right around 10:1.  This means that if 10 inches of snow were to fall and then be melted down, it would equal one inch of water.  Lower snow to liquid ratios occur when there is more moisture present within the snow and temperatures are

right around or slightly above/below freezing.  The more heavier and wet snow is also called 'heart-attack' snow because it's harder to shovel, but good for making snowballs.  A drier snow, like the one we had this afternoon, will tend to have higher snow to liquid ratios.  This means that the snow has very little water content and will be less dense than average meaning there are more air pockets between the snow crystals.  Dry snow is not sticky so it's very hard to make snowballs with, but because it's lighter it's easily blown around by the wind.  Dry snow occurs when temperatures throughout the atmosphere are well below freezing and also well below freezing at the surface.  During the duration of the snowfall Saturday, surface temperatures were in the middle teens.