Heavy snow is expected in a line from Polo, Illinois to McHenry, Illinois to Kenosha, Wisconsin. About 6 inches-8 inches are possible along the heaviest line. Southern Buffalo Grove, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Barrington, and Wheeling are expected to get about 1 inch to 3 inches of snow by 2 a.m. The counties of Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, and Lake in northern Illinois are included in the watch. The southeastern one-third of Wisconsin as far north as Sturgeon Bay is under a Winter Storm Warning. The Wisconsin warning includes the Illinois border counties of Green, Rock, Walworth, and Kenosha.
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
442 AM CST FRI MAR 2 2012
…POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY SNOWFALL ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS…
.A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING STORM SYSTEM WILL LIFT NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH
SOUTHERN MISSOURI THIS MORNING AND THROUGH CENTRAL ILLINOIS BY
AROUND NOON. AS THE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO THE NORTHEAST…THROUGH
NORTHERN INDIANA AND INTO SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN…THE CENTRAL
PRESSURE WILL RAPIDLY DEEPEN AS COLDER AIR IS DRAWN INTO THE
SYSTEM. RAIN WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA LATER THIS MORNING…AND
THEN TRANSITION OVER TO SNOW AND A RAIN SNOW MIX BY EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF SNOWFALL RATES REACHING ONE
INCH PER HOUR…ESPECIALLY NEAR THE ROCKFORD AREA. THE SNOW WILL
QUICKLY TAPER OFF THIS EVENING AS THE MAIN LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
PULLS OFF TO THE NORTHEAST.
ILZ003>006-008-021845-
/O.CON.KLOT.WS.A.0004.120302T2100Z-120303T0600Z/
WINNEBAGO-BOONE-MCHENRY-LAKE IL-OGLE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…ROCKFORD…BELVIDERE…WOODSTOCK…
WAUKEGAN…OREGON
442 AM CST FRI MAR 2 2012
…WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM CST THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING…
* TIMING…RAIN WILL TRANSITION OVER TO SNOW DURING THE AFTERNOON
HOURS ACROSS NORTHWESTERN ILLINOIS…WITH THE TRANSITION LINE
FROM RAIN TO SNOW SPREADING TO THE SOUTH AND EAST THROUGH THE
LATE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING. THE SNOW SHOULD COME TO AN
END BY AROUND MIDNIGHT.
* ACCUMULATIONS…STORM TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 6 INCHES
ARE POSSIBLE. THE HEAVIEST SNOW SHOULD BE NORTH OF A LINE FROM
POLO…TO KIRKLAND…TO MCHENRY…INCLUDING THE ROCKFORD METRO
AREA.
* HAZARDS…THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS LIKELY TO FALL DURING THE LATE
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS…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 FAR NORTHERN ILLINOIS WILL BECOME
DIFFICULT AND PERHAPS DANGEROUS.
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