URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
320 PM CST MON JAN 31 2011 »»» LATEST FROM NWS …
…DANGEROUS MULTIFACETED AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING WINTER STORM TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY…
COUNTIES
WINNEBAGO-BOONE-MCHENRY-LAKE IL-OGLE-LEE-DE KALB-KANE-DUPAGE-COOK-LA SALLE-KENDALL-GRUNDY-WILL-KANKAKEE-LIVINGSTON-IROQUOIS-FORD-LAKE IN-PORTER-NEWTON-JASPER-BENTON
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…
ROCKFORD…BELVIDERE…WOODSTOCK…WAUKEGAN…OREGON…DIXON…DEKALB…AURORA…WHEATON…CHICAGO…OTTAWA…OSWEGO…MORRIS…JOLIET…KANKAKEE…PONTIAC…WATSEKA…PAXTON…GARY…VALPARAISO…MOROCCO…RENSSELAER…FOWLER
320 PM CST MON JAN 31 2011 /420 PM EST MON JAN 31 2011/
…BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM CST /4 PM EST/ TUESDAY TO
3 PM CST /4 PM EST/ WEDNESDAY…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM CST /4 PM EST/ TUESDAY TO
3 PM CST /4 PM EST/ WEDNESDAY. THE BLIZZARD WARNING REPLACES THE
BLIZZARD WATCH.
* TIMING…SNOW WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY AND BECOME HEAVY AT
TIMES SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 TUESDAY AFTERNOON…GRADUALLY
SPREADING NORTH INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS BY TUESDAY EVENING.
SNOW…WHICH WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES…WILL CONTINUE TUESDAY
NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. LAKE ENHANCED SNOW SHOWERS
WILL CONTINUE NEAR LAKE MICHIGAN IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS WEDNESDAY
MORNING…SHIFTING INTO NORTHWEST INDIANA DURING THE AFTERNOON.
NORTHEAST WINDS OF 25 TO 40 MPH WITH STRONGER GUSTS WILL RESULT IN BLIZZARD CONDITIONS DEVELOPING LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.
* ACCUMULATIONS…SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN EXCESS OF A FOOT ARE
EXPECTED OVER MUCH OF THE AREA FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. LOCALIZED TOTALS IN EXCESS OF 18 INCHES REMAIN POSSIBLE…ESPECIALLY NEAR THE LAKE.
* HAZARDS…WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT TIMES TUESDAY
NIGHT AS VERY HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS RESULT IN BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS. SNOWFALL RATES OF AT LEAST 2 TO 3 INCHES PER HOUR
ARE POSSIBLE…ESPECIALLY WHERE THUNDER SNOW MAY BE PRESENT.
* IMPACTS…CONDITIONS WILL RAPIDLY DETERIORATE FROM SOUTH TO
NORTH ACROSS THE REGION TUESDAY AFTERNOON…WITH TRAVEL LIKELY
BECOMING VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE AT TIMES TUESDAY NIGHT AND INTO
EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO FALL SO HEAVILY AT
TIMES TUESDAY NIGHT THAT PLOWS MAY BE UNABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE SNOW…WITH MANY SIDE STREETS AND UNTREATED ROADS BECOMING
IMPASSABLE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS…MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL…HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED…STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.
SHEA (NWS METEOROLOGIST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL MAP: Experimental NWS Total Snow Forecast for Chicago Area as of February 1, 2011 at 4:16 a.m.
An older total snow forecast as of Monday afternoon with a slight southeast shift of the heaviest snowfall compared to the map directly below. Click on the map for the latest EXPERIMENTAL TOTAL SNOW AMOUNT FORECAST.
TOTAL SNOWFALL MAP: Experimental NWS Total Snow Forecast as of Monday morning for Chicago Area showing 22″ for Soldier Field; 20″ for the entire City of Chicago including O’Hare; 19″ for Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, 18″ for Cary, Crystal Lake; 16″ for Rockford.
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