Bitter cold, heavy snow showers on the menu for Valentine's Day

Those who have made evening plans to celebrate Valentine's Day will need to travel with caution while getting to their place of destination. Snow chances arrive before the weekend, hence the Winter Weather Advisory for counties that hug the Illinois and Wisconsin border. Green, Rock, and Walworth counties will be under the advisory from 4PM Friday until 6AM Saturday morning. Jo-Daviess and Stephenson counties will be under the advisory from 3PM Friday to 3AM Saturday morning.  

Friday begins with bitter cold as mostly clear skies, calm winds, and the fresh snow allowed temperatures to fall below zero. If a light wind is established, wind chills could be as low as -20°.

 

 

 

Conditions quickly turn cloudy as warmer air filters in. This will allow temperatures to quickly climb into Friday afternoon, leaving highs in the upper 20s. Not too long after, the first of two snow chances slides in from the west, resulting in travel impacts for those with evening plans. During that 3-to-4-hour window, heavy snow is on the table. 1-3" of snow looks to fall before we see a lull in the precipitation for much of the night. The higher snowfall totals are likely to occur across southern Wisconsin.

The second round will be a longer duration event in the form of hit-or-miss snow showers. Another 1-3" of snow will be possible. 

Once snow chances end Saturday night, the focus will then turn to the intrusion of Arctic air that will hold our region in its grasp for much of next week. Highs dip back into the single digits start Monday, with lows diving below zero. Wind chills drop well below zero and may turn dangerous at times. Stay alert for updates on the bitter cold.