Salvation Awaits? Hang in There!

Good afternoon everyone, we've really stepped in this time it seems. On the heels of another snow maker that has rapidly departed the area, we're now staring down the icy chamber of a loaded ice cannon. How low will we go? That is the question everybody is asking, unfortunately if we are doing the limbo my old body definitely won't be going low enough to escape! So what are we to do? We all need to pull together, stay warm, and survive as a community of weather ready nation warriors! The reward for persevering? A much needed thaw and the potential for some areas to even reach the low 60's! 

Both the GFS and EURO advertise a system developing next weekend to our west and passing through the region. On it's current path, it would place much of Illinois in the warm sector. How warm are we talking here? Anything is better than the negative 20 air temperatures we're about to face!  With this system we're probably going to deal with precipitation in the liquid form versus the frozen. I can't rule out some frozen precipitation at it's onset Saturday into Sunday as the warm air overrides the cold air already in place.

Obviously we are 160 hours out at this point, but the signs have all been pointing up with regard to getting a brief spell from this brutal cold snap. It would be a cruel trick from Mother Nature to flip the script!

A big concern with this short term pattern change is the amount of moisture that will potentially be flowing in aloft. Heavy rains are not our friend right now. To be quite honest, a thaw is not our friend either. It is just a selfish desire to not have "hurts so bad" cold while outdoors. A thawing trend will begin to break up ice on the rivers and cause significant issues with ice jams and flooding. I don't think we can say we've endured winter long enough to wish for a thaw. I don't even think we've HAD winter long enough for it TO thaw. Those that live near the local rivers need to be aware of the weather later this weekend. Specifically heard of flooding on the Fox River and Kankakee Rivers already!

I will end with the feel good news though. The light at the end of the tunnel. The reason for you to back slowly away from the ledge. The images to the right are potential temperatures this coming weekend. Obviously we can't take them verbatim, but overall it looks likely for much of the state to at least reach the upper 30's/low 40's.  Breezy conditions will also accompany the warm up so it may still feel colder than it actually is, but if you live south of I-72 you're really going to enjoy the potential 50's this weekend no matter what the wind is like. The winners may end up being southern Illinois. Those lucky folks will be thumbing their noses at us all as they may even tab the low 60's!

It's winter, it's Illinois. We're used to the cold, yes. We aren't used to the Siberian Arctic we will be dealing with, but we can do it! Let's get over to the weekend and reset. 
​DNEAL