Forecast for Arlington Heights and nearby northwest suburbs is less than one-half inch of snow mixed with sleet between 11:00 p.m. Wednesday and 3:00 a.m. Thursday. Sleet continuing through 5:00 p.m. Thursday. ADDITIONAL SNOW picks up again by about 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning and continues until about 11:00 p.m. Accumulation in Arlington Heights could be about 4 inches. Buffalo Grove and areas north could see 5 or 6 inches of snow.
Also, freezing rain possible between 3:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Thursday.
Southern areas of Chicagoland may see only rain. Weather conditions could change the areas that are most impacted by snowfall.
Lake County (IL) and McHenry County are already under a Winter Storm Watch. Buffalo Grove, Kildeer, Lincolnshire, and areas north are under the Winter Storm Watch (see below WINTER STORM WATCH below SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT).
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
1011 AM CST WED FEB 6 2013
WINNEBAGO-BOONE-OGLE-LEE-DE KALB-KANE-DUPAGE-COOK-LA SALLE-
KENDALL-GRUNDY-WILL-LAKE IN-PORTER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…ROCKFORD…BELVIDERE…OREGON…DIXON…
DEKALB…AURORA…WHEATON…CHICAGO…OTTAWA…OSWEGO…MORRIS…
JOLIET…GARY…VALPARAISO
1011 AM CST WED FEB 6 2013
…WINTERY MIX OF SNOW…FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET ON THURSDAY…
A STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD A WINTRY MIX OF FREEZING
RAIN…SLEET AND SNOW ACROSS THE AREA VERY LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY
THURSDAY MORNING. THE WINTRY MIX APPEARS THAT IT MAY QUICKLY CHANGE
TO ALL SNOW BY MID TO LATE MORNING ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE
88…WITH AREAS SOUTH POSSIBLY TRANSITIONING TO SNOW DURING THE
AFTERNOON. UNCERTAINTY REMAINS WITH THIS SYSTEM…AS TEMPERATURES
WILL BE MARGINAL. HOWEVER…AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS THAT MODERATE
SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OVER 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE…ESPECIALLY
ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 88. SOME MINOR ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE
ALSO POSSIBLE…NAMELY THURSDAY MORNING. PERSONS PLANNING TRAVEL
ACROSS THE REGION ARE URGED TO STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST
FORECAST INFORMATION WITH THIS SYSTEM…AS THINGS MAY CHANGE.
Winter Storm Watch
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
949 AM CST WED FEB 6 2013
MCHENRY-LAKE IL-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…WOODSTOCK…WAUKEGAN
949 AM CST WED FEB 6 2013
…WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
THURSDAY EVENING…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY
EVENING.
* TIMING…A MIXTURE OF FREEZING RAIN…SLEET AND SNOW IS EXPECTED
TO DEVELOP AROUND DAYBREAK…BEFORE CHANGING TO ALL SNOW BY LATE
MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON. THE SNOW SHOULD CONTINUE…HEAVY AT
TIMES DURING THE AFTERNOON…BEFORE TAPERING OFF DURING THE
EVENING.
* MAIN IMPACT…ALTHOUGH THERE IS STILL UNCERTAINTY IN HOW MUCH OF
THE PRECIPITATION WILL FALL AS SNOW…IT DOES APPEAR THAT SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS OF POTENTIALLY 6 OR MORE INCHES ALONG WITH SOME
ICE ACCUMULATIONS…COULD MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS ACROSS THE AREA.
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.