SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
439 AM CST TUE DEC 18 2012
LAKE IL-KANE-DUPAGE-COOK-LA SALLE-KENDALL-GRUNDY-WILL-KANKAKEE-
LIVINGSTON-IROQUOIS-FORD-LAKE IN-PORTER-NEWTON-JASPER-BENTON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…WAUKEGAN…AURORA…WHEATON…CHICAGO…
OTTAWA…OSWEGO…MORRIS…JOLIET…KANKAKEE…PONTIAC…
WATSEKA…PAXTON…GARY…VALPARAISO…MOROCCO…RENSSELAER…
FOWLER
439 AM CST TUE DEC 18 2012 /539 AM EST TUE DEC 18 2012/
…A MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT THE MIDWEST AND GREAT LAKES
REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT…
A RAPIDLY STRENGTHENING WINTER STORM WILL APPROACH THE AREA
WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND TRACK ACROSS NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST
INDIANA THURSDAY. RAIN IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM
WEDNESDAY NIGHT…WITH SNOW POSSIBLE OVER FAR NORTHWEST ILLINOIS.
AS THE STORM MOVES NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA THURSDAY…COLDER
AIR IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE PRECIPITATION OVER TO ALL SNOW ACROSS
NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS BY MIDDAY…AND ACROSS NORTHEAST ILLINOIS
AND NORTHWEST INDIANA THURSDAY AFTERNOON. SNOW WILL TAPER OFF FROM
WEST TO EAST THURSDAY NIGHT.
THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL LIKELY ACCUMULATE TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE
STORM TRACK. THIS WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WOULD
OCCUR ACROSS EASTERN IOWA…NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS…
AND WISCONSIN…WHERE 6 INCHES OR MORE OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE.
HOWEVER…MUCH OF THE AREA…INCLUDING CHICAGO…IS FAVORED TO SEE
SOME ACCUMULATING SNOW BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING…
WITH CHANGES IN THE TRACK OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM HAVING A
SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE ON OVERALL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. A TRACK
SOUTHEAST OF CHICAGO WOULD RESULT IN MORE SNOW AREA WIDE…WHILE A
TRACK OVER OR NORTH OF CHICAGO WOULD RESULT IN MUCH LESS SNOWFALL.
WHILE THERE STILL REMAINS SOME UNCERTAINTY ON SNOWFALL DURATION
AND AMOUNTS…ONE ASPECT THAT LOOKS HIGHLY LIKELY IS THAT
NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BECOME STRONG ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 45 TO 50 MPH…POSSIBLY STRONGER.
WHERE SNOW DOES OCCUR…THESE WINDS WILL LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT
BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND SEVERELY REDUCED VISIBILITIES.
ANYONE WHO PLANS ON TRAVELING ACROSS THE MIDWEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT
THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR DIFFICULT TRAVEL…
ESPECIALLY FOR AREAS WEST AND NORTH OF CHICAGO. IT IS IMPORTANT TO
MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS ON THIS WINTER STORM. IN ADDITION…
THIS STORM MAY SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT AIR TRAVEL THROUGH CHICAGO
OHARE AND CHICAGO MIDWAY AIRPORTS. … http://maps.google.com/?q=&t=h&z=17
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6am flight to LaGuardia on Thursday. Really hoping to get out of here.