After unusually warm temperatures for the Chicago area, temperatures are expected to fall near freezing about 4:00 am. Thursday morning and decline below freezing through Friday, January 13, 2012. Snowfall is expected to begin about 7:00 am. Thursday and continue until 6:00 a.m. Friday. The heaviest snow (4-8-inch snow) is expected northeast Chicagoland near the Lake Michigan shoreline, including lake effect snowfall. Currently Arlington Heights is likely in the 4-6-inch snowfall depth range.
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
205 PM CST WED JAN 11 2012
…WINTER STORM TO BRING SIGNIFICANT SNOW AND STRONG WINDS…
MCHENRY-LAKE IL-KANE-DUPAGE-COOK-KENDALL-WILL-LAKE IN-PORTER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…WOODSTOCK…WAUKEGAN…AURORA…
WHEATON…CHICAGO…OSWEGO…JOLIET…GARY…VALPARAISO
205 PM CST WED JAN 11 2012
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THURSDAY TO 9 AM
CST FRIDAY…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW…WHICH
IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THURSDAY TO 9 AM CST FRIDAY. THE WINTER
STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
* TIMING…SNOW WILL DEVELOP BY MIDDAY THURSDAY AND CONTINUE
INTO FRIDAY MORNING.
* ACCUMULATIONS…SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE.
* HAZARDS…IN ADDITION TO THE FALLING SNOW…WINDS WILL
INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH BY THURSDAY
EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. THE STRONG WINDS
WILL CAUSE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW…ESPECIALLY
IN OUTLYING AND OPEN AREAS. WIND CHILLS ARE ALSO FORECAST TO
DROP TO NEAR ZERO.
* IMPACTS…ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL LIKELY MAKE TRAVEL DIFFICULT
FOR THE AFTERNOON COMMUTE THURSDAY…WITH TRAVEL CONDITIONS
POSSIBLY BECOMING TREACHEROUS AND EVEN DANGEROUS IN OPEN AREAS
THURSDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW MEANS THAT
VISIBILITIES WILL BE LIMITED DUE TO A COMBINATION OF FALLING AND
BLOWING SNOW. USE CAUTION WHEN TRAVELING… ESPECIALLY IN OPEN
AREAS.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW
WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW
COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES…AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.
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