Winter Storm Warnings Issued Across Northwest Illinois. Snow/Ice Update #4

It is 930am Tuesday morning. Precip is just beginning across northern Illinois and so far freezing rain has been observed. There have already been numerous accidents reported and travel is not advised! Later today we expect a switch over to rain and snow, with heavy snow possible across far northwest Illinois where Winter Storm Warnings are now in effect. 

Winnebago-Boone-Ogle- Including the cities of Rockford, Belvidere, and Oregon 842 AM CST Tue Jan 22 2019 ...WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST WEDNESDAY...

* WHAT...Freezing drizzle through early afternoon, then changing to snow, heavy at times through Wednesday morning. Total snow accumulations of 4 to 7 inches expected. Total ice accumulations of up to two tenths of an inch expected this afternoon. * WHERE...Winnebago, Boone and Ogle Counties.

* WHEN...Until noon CST Wednesday. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous conditions will impact the evening commute.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Winter Storm Warning means significant amounts of snow, sleet and ice will make travel very hazardous or impossible.

Elsewhere across the advisory areas, a tricky situation will still evolve. Confidence is high in a freezing rain event through early evening, but at somepoint freezing rain will transition over to snow and plain rain. Where the exact freezing line sets up is highly uncertain. 

Current thinking is it should settle around the Chicago area. Below is a model estimated plot of surface temperatures around 6pm

Snowfall is another challenge, as the southern gradient will be sharp. Current thinking is that the heaviest snow will fall across northwest Illinois where the warnings are with amounts tapering off quickly, but if surface temperatures remain below freezing, we may have to bump up snow totals in our later TAM updates. Stay tuned to ISC for more information. 

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