Forecasters are leaning toward forecasting a snow amount that does not warrant a Winter Storm Warning. Snow is expected to be dry (not good packing) with the heaviest snow expected in far northern Illinois. Maybe 4-5 inches in Arlington Heights? … with less in Schaumburg and more in Buffalo Grove and Lake County. Communities south of an east-west line roughly at Joliet are not under the Winter Weather Advisory.
Winter Storm Warnings are usually issued for heavy snow exceeding six inches, ice accumulation, dangerous wind chills, or a combination of the three. Winter Storm Warnings can be issued for lesser amounts of snow if the snow occurs with strong winds in excess of 20 miles an hour, or if significant sleet or heavy ice accumulations from freezing rain are forecast.
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
241 PM CST THU JAN 19 2012
MCHENRY-LAKE IL-KANE-DUPAGE-COOK-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…WOODSTOCK…WAUKEGAN…AURORA…
WHEATON…CHICAGO
241 PM CST THU JAN 19 2012
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM FRIDAY TO MIDNIGHT
CST FRIDAY NIGHT…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM FRIDAY TO
MIDNIGHT CST FRIDAY NIGHT. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN
EFFECT.
* TIMING…SNOW WILL DEVELOP DURING THE MID TO LATE MORNING HOURS
FRIDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY ENDING FRIDAY NIGHT. THE
HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WILL OCCUR DURING THE AFTERNOON FRIDAY.
* ACCUMULATIONS…SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED
WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER TOTALS POSSIBLE.
* HAZARDS…SNOW COULD FALL RATHER HEAVILY AT TIMES RESULTING IN
REDUCED VISIBILITIES AND SNOWFALL RATES OF A HALF INCH TO INCH
PER HOUR AT TIMES.
* IMPACTS…ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED
TRAVEL TIMES…RESULTING IN A PARTICULARLY TREACHEROUS AFTERNOON
COMMUTE FRIDAY. IN ADDITION…VERY COLD TEMPERATURES IN THE
TEENS WILL MAKE SALT LESS EFFECTIVE MAKING IT HARDER FOR ROAD
CREWS TO KEEP ROADS CLEAR OF SNOW AND ICE. THE SNOW WILL ALSO
RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT DISRUPTIONS TO AIR TRAVEL AS WELL WITH
DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS LIKELY AT O`HARE AND MIDWAY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
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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