A Lake Effect Snow Advisory includes Arlington Heights, Chicagoland and north, northwest, west, and southwest suburbs Sunday. The main snow system stopped dropping snow about 2:30 a.m. Sunday. Now bands of light snow coming of Lake Michigan in a direction from the northeast to the southwest are bringing snow to the area. The lake effect snow is expected to end in Arlington Heights about 6:00 p.m. Sunday. Winds are forecast to vary from the north to southeast and southwest all day. The heaviest snow may occur about 11:00 a.m. when wind is forecast to come from the southeast. However is conditions remain the same as they are now, Arlington Heights will get minimal new snowfall the rest of Sunday.
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
236 AM CST SAT DEC 25 2010
LAKE IL-DUPAGE-COOK-WILL-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…WAUKEGAN…WHEATON…CHICAGO…JOLIET
236 AM CST SAT DEC 25 2010
…LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST SUNDAY…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A LAKE EFFECT
SNOW ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST SUNDAY.
* TIMING…SCATTERED LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS ARE LIKELY
TODAY…WITH SNOW SHOWERS EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND
INTENSITY TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS
SHOULD DIMINISH IN ILLINOIS AND SHIFT INTO NORTHWEST INDIANA BY
SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
* ACCUMULATIONS…SNOWFALL TOTALS WITH LAKE EFFECT SNOW CAN VARY
WILDLY OVER SURPRISINGLY SHORT DISTANCES. LOCALLY AN INCH OR SO
OF SNOW COULD ACCUMULATE BY SUNSET…BUT THE MORE SIGNIFICANT
ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN THIS EVENING AND LAST INTO
SUNDAY MORNING. CURRENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT AT LEAST PORTIONS
OF THE ADVISORY AREA WILL SEE SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 6
INCHES…WITH SOME POSSIBILITY FOR ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS.
* HAZARDS…THE MORE INTENSE LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WILL LIKELY
RESULT IN GREATLY REDUCED VISIBILITY WITH UNTREATED ROADWAYS
BECOMING SNOW COVERED AND TRAVEL DIFFICULT.
* IMPACTS…DUE TO THE LOCALIZED NATURE OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW
SHOWERS…ANYONE TRAVELING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ENCOUNTER
SUDDEN REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY AND POOR ROAD CONDITIONS. JUST
BECAUSE IT IS NOT SNOWING AT YOUR HOUSE…DOES NOT MEAN THERE
IS NOT AN INTENSE SNOW SHOWER JUST DOWN THE ROAD. ANYONE PLANNING
TRAVEL IN THE IMMEDIATE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA THIS HOLIDAY
WEEKEND SHOULD LEAVE EXTRA TIME TO GET TO INTENDED DESTINATIONS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY MEANS LAKE-EFFECT SNOW IS FORECAST
THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DIFFICULT IN SOME AREAS. LAKE-EFFECT SNOW
SHOWERS TYPICALLY ALIGN THEMSELVES IN BANDS AND WILL LIKELY BE
INTENSE ENOUGH TO DROP SEVERAL INCHES IN LOCALIZED AREAS. USE
CAUTION WHEN TRAVELING.