A Winter Storm Watch goes into effect for the risk of ice and snow accumulations Wednesday

 

A WINTER STORM WATCH will go into effect for Whiteside, Lee and DeKalb counties beginning Wednesday evening and lasting through Thursday afternoon/evening (depending on location).  The watch has been issued for the combination of accumulating ice and snow, especially along the I-88 corridor.  Impacts to both the drive late Wednesday evening and Thursday can be expected.

Southeast winds Tuesday will begin to shift more to

the south late Tuesday night following the passage of a warm front.  Temperatures Tuesday warmed into the mid and upper 30s, and while expected to drop a little Tuesday evening, will continue to warm through the night reaching the low 40s Wednesday morning.  Winds will stay gusty during that time from the south.

The increase in moisture Wednesday morning will lead to rain during the late morning and afternoon,

with some of the rain becoming locally heavy by Wednesday evening.  Temperatures during that time will warm into the upper 40s and low 50s.  A cold front will move in from the northwest, pushing the heaviest rainfall to the southeast but also work to cool temperatures down below freezing near the surface.  This will result in the rain switching over to a wintry mix of freezing rain and sleet, most likely after 8pm.  Ice accumulations will be minor, up to a few hundredths of an inch to a tenth of an inch, especially for areas outlined within the watch.  Temperatures Wednesday night will drop through the 30s and eventually down into the low 20s Thursday morning.

An area of snow will move across Illinois, impacting parts of the area throughout the day Thursday.  As it looks now, Tuesday evening, locations south of Rockford have a slightly higher chance for receiving higher snow totals, possibly over four inches, Thursday.  Further north a couple inches appear likely, and once you enter into southern Wisconsin totals look to be very minimal.  Any snow that does come down would be a heavy, wet snow making travel very difficult Thursday afternoon.  Northeast winds area also expected to increase during that time which may cause some of the snow to blow around as it falls, as well as while on the ground.  A shift in the storm track is possible with it still being over 24 hours away, and that could mean a shift more to the north or to the south.  Be sure to pay attention to the forecast as both Wednesday and Thursday will be impactful days.