Light Snow Chances Overnight As Heavier Snow Remains South

If you are a snow-lover, this winter has been a tough one for you. Observations at the Rockford International Airport show that we've recorded 19.8" of snow since December 1st. That's well below the average up to February 25th, and well below our snowfall total at this point last year. The good news is, for those that are tired of snow, it looks like the southward trend in the storm's track will likely keep the worst of the wintry weather to the south. yesterday featured a significant shift in this upcoming storms track which also shifted the heaviest snowfall totals to the south of the Stateline.

For that reason, the National Weather Service yesterday cancelled the Winter Storm Watch that was in place for all of our counties in the viewing area. As of Tuesday morning, all the winter alerts are in place for areas south and east of the Stateline. One being a winter weather advisory that is in effect for places like Chicago, Peoria, Joliet, and Champaign-Urbana. We also have a Winter Storm Watch then extends through northern Indiana into southeast Michigan.


What does that mean for us? While snow flies across central Illinois, the Stateline looks to remain pretty far removed from the main event once again. Today will feature overcast skies, windy and chilly conditions. Highs this afternoon will top out in the mid to upper 30s. Might be a good idea to grab the winter coat before heading out, strong northeasterly winds will hold our  wind chills into the upper teens and low 20s. There might be enough moisture that streams in to form areas of  patchy drizzle/flurries this afternoon and evening. Overall, most of our day should remain on the dry side. The winds however will stick around with us into tonight. Wind gusts pushing 25 to 30 mph could make for a shaky drive home later today. 

Later this evening, as the secondary surface low pressure strengthens and moves across the Midwest, returning the chances for snow showers. As we mentioned, the track of the main surface low has trended well to the south, bringing portions of central Illinois and northern Indiana the heaviest snow totals. For the Stateline, a more steady snow is likely to fall south of I-80, but portions of Lee and DeKalb Counties could still see a slushy inch. North of I-88, generally a dusting to about a half an inch looks more likely. While snow looks to remain on the lighter side locally, it could still be enough to lead to slick spots for Wednesday early commute. Be sure to give yourself a bit of extra time and plan for a slower commute. By the mid to late morning hours, any lingering show showers or flurries will taper off leaving the rest of our Wednesday with cloudy skies and windy conditions. By the second half of our Wednesday, road conditions should have improved immensely leading to a smoother evening commute.