Gusty winds subside some Wednesday evening; Blowing and drifting snow continues

It's been a very long time since we've managed a full day of sunshine this month. So even though it was rather cold Wednesday afternoon, the sunshine was welcomed with open arms. The warmth of the sun, however, was pushed to the back-burner just a bit as gusty southerly winds held wind chills in the single digits through early afternoon. Temperatures were slow to climb during the day with many locations still in the mid 20s, mid-afternoon. But today is going to be a day where the high temperature will officially be reached after sunset, as already temperatures in Rockford have 'warmed' to 30 degrees. The wind chill, however, still makes it feel like the teens.

South winds were gusting to 35 mph at times throughout the day, really howling in the open areas. Those strong wind gusts will subside through the rest of the evening, but sustained winds from the south and southwest will remain between 10-20 mph into the overnight.  

There have been numerous reports of blowing and drifting snow on east/west roads Wednesday, especially in the open and rural areas, with some drifts completely over the roadway. Drifting and blowing snow may also be an issue on, and along, the shoulder of the southbound lanes of north/south roads. Low visibility has also been reported with some of the blowing snow Wednesday evening. The southerly winds should lighten up after 10pm, but the slick and icy conditions will likely last through Thursday morning. A passing cold front Wednesday evening will shift the wind around to the west during the day Thursday. While winds won't be quite as strong, there may still be some blowing and drifting snow during the afternoon, impacting more of the north/south roads this time.