Wet Snow Arrives This Afternoon, Impacts Highest Overnight into Early Friday

 Latest on Winter Storm:

Unlike last week's winter storm, the one that is expected to move through over the next 24 hours is going to give the Stateline a snowy makeover. To begin, there have been a couple of changes to the winter alerts issued yesterday. 

First, Jo-Daviess, Carroll, and Whiteside Counties have been upgraded to a WINTER STORM WARNING. Secondly, the remaining counties in our forecast area have been placed under a WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. The warning begins at 9AM this morning whereas the advisory will begin at 3PM this afternoon. Fortunately, the wintry mix and wet snow hold off until this afternoon, meaning that there will be no issues for those heading out this morning. 

Timing of the Snow:

This event should begin shortly after mid-day, likely as a wintry mix with temperatures being a good chunk above the 32-degree mark. As the afternoon progresses, a cooling trend will result in a changeover to a wet snow. Once the transition is complete, snow will pick up in intensity during the evening and overnight hours, which is when impacts will be at their highest. 

One thing going for us is that road temperatures have been quite warm over the past couple of days. So it might take a bit before the snow actually begins to impact our local roadways. However, once the heavy, wet snow overcomes road temperatures, expect slushy and treacherous travel conditions to develop shortly after. 

Power outages may also become an issue with this upcoming winter storm. Especially when you take into account the the snow's heavy texture and the gusty east to northeast wind that will be in place. As we've been saying with each winter storm, it's best to have a power outage kit ready just in case you ending up losing power. One that contains a few flashlights, water, non-perishable foods, and a first aid kit.

Before we go into snowfall totals, it's important to point out that there still is some uncertainty when it comes to accumulations because of how much will melt on contact. But, current thinking suggests that areas north of Interstate 88 will have the potential to pick up 4" to 7" by Friday morning. 

Lighter snowfall amounts are likely along and south of the interstate, while the highest amounts are expected across eastern Iowa and across the southeast regions of Wisconsin. The more intense activity should wrap up during the early stages of Friday, leaving some impacts for those planning to travel during the morning commute. As temperatures slowly climb further away from the 32-degree mark, expect lingering snow showers to mix with light rain. 

Eventually, we will begin to see this event come to a close before mid-day, leaving us mostly cloudy for the afternoon. From there, we'll have to keep an eye on another storm system over the weekend. One that may bring additional snowfall to the Stateline Saturday night into Sunday.