Excess of six inches of snow possible Friday afternoon and Friday night with the highest amounts expected near the Illinois-Wisconsin border. Temperatures will drop throughout the day Thursday. At 11:00 a.m. it is 12°F in Arlington Heights and only 4°F in Galena, Illinois already.
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
1004 AM CST THU JAN 19 2012
…DEVELOPING WINTER STORM TO BRING SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL TO
NORTHERN ILLINOIS FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT…
WINNEBAGO-BOONE-MCHENRY-LAKE IL-OGLE-LEE-DE KALB-KANE-DUPAGE-COOK-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…ROCKFORD…BELVIDERE…WOODSTOCK…
WAUKEGAN…OREGON…DIXON…DEKALB…AURORA…WHEATON…CHICAGO
1004 AM CST THU JAN 19 2012
…WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING
THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING…
A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING
THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING.
* TIMING…SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER NORTHWEST ILLINOIS
AROUND DAYBREAK FRIDAY AND QUICKLY SPREAD ACROSS NORTHERN
ILLINOIS…INCLUDING THE CHICAGO METRO AREA…BY LATE FRIDAY
MORNING. THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING…
TAPERING OFF TO LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES BY EARLY SATURDAY
MORNING.
* ACCUMULATIONS…STORM TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 6 INCHES
ARE POSSIBLE.
* HAZARDS…THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS LIKELY TO FALL FROM FRIDAY
AFTERNOON INTO EARLY FRIDAY EVENING…WHEN SNOWFALL RATES OF
UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR ARE POSSIBLE. ROADS WILL BECOME SNOW
COVERED AND DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN IF THESE SNOWFALL RATES
MATERIALIZE. TRAVEL ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS WILL BECOME
DIFFICULT AND PERHAPS DANGEROUS.
* IMPACTS…ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED
TRAVEL TIMES BY LATE FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. THE
HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BE FALLING DURING THE FRIDAY
AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY EVENING RUSH HOUR COMMUTE. VERY COLD
TEMPERATURES IN THE TEENS MAY ALSO MAKE SALT LESS EFFECTIVE
MAKING IT HARDER FOR ROAD CREWS TO KEEP ROADS CLEAR OF SNOW AND
ICE. THE SNOW WILL RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT DELAYS AND
CANCELLATIONS AT CHICAGO AREA AIRPORTS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW…SLEET…OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.