Winter returns late week with accumulating snow and cold

A WINTER STORM WATCH has been issued for most of northern Illinois beginning late Wednesday night, lasting through Thursday evening, as another round of heavy snow is likely to move across parts of the area.

The rain and wind will come to an end Wednesday morning following the passage of a second cold front. That front will then become the driving force behind the next storm system moving in on Thursday. Where that front sets up is likely where the surface low will track. 

Low pressure will quickly develop on the lee side of the Rockies Tuesday night, moving into the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas before dipping briefly to the south, moving northeast through Missouri - close to St. Louis - and into central Illinois. This type of storm track does place a portion of northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin within an area of heavier snow, but the exact location of the heavier snow axis is still a little harder to pin down. 

Winds will turn to the northeast Thursday pushing temperatures into the 20s. It'll be a blustery and snowy Thursday morning and afternoon, with the snow coming to an end Thursday night. High pressure moving in Friday morning will push overnight temperatures into the low teens, with highs Friday warming only to the mid 20s.