Weekend snow potential

Around an inch of snow can be expected with a cold front Friday night, but you'll likely need the shovels with the snow that is set to arrive late Saturday.

Strong low pressure bringing flooding rain, coastal storm surges, high winds and higher elevation snow to California will move east tonight and Saturday morning.  Part of that system will drive snow across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin late Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning with a second round bringing snow further downstate on Sunday.  After a few lingering flurries Saturday morning, skies will stay quiet until late in the day Saturday as lighter snow moves in from the west.  Better forcing and a little more moisture will arrive overnight Saturday helping to drive snow across the Stateline bringing roughly 2" up to possibly 5" of fresh snow to the area. 

Lake effect snow will be possible for eastern Wisconsin and northeast Illinois Sunday as winds shift around to the northeast.  Heavier snow will likely be found across central Illinois where totals could exceed over six inches as another low pressure system moves through.  It's the track of Sunday's low that is still in question as a further shift to the north would mean a further shift north of the heavier snow track.  Right now, that storm system is just moving onshore in the west coast so within the next 12 hours we'll get a better sampling of data.  Models have wanted to shift Sunday's system further south over the past day or so which would mean we'd completely miss out on the snow.  But I wouldn't be surprised to see a slight shift further back to the north either later tonight or Saturday.  Meteorological Spring begins tomorrow, Saturday, but temperatures will feel anything but spring-like.