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Lake County IL - Winter Weather Advisory
Thursday, February 23, 2012
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Lake County and surrounding areas, from 6 p.m. Thursday through 9 a.m. Friday.
Rain is moving into the Chicago metro area from the southwest, and will overspread Lake County into the early afternoon. Temperatures will fall through the afternoon, and the rain will change to snow as the temperature falls. Due to the complicated dynamics of this particular weather system, which forecasters describe as being more like a spring storm than a typical winter one, it is not possible to pinpoint the exact time when the rain will change to snow at any given location.
Across Lake County, you can likely expect to see weather conditions change between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. this evening, though it could happen earlier or later. Snow will likely be wet and heavy, and the most intense snowfall is expected to occur in the hours immediately after the change from rain to snow. Snowfall rates could be an inch an hour, or greater.
Current forecast models indicate expected snowfall across Lake County of from three to perhaps eight inches of accumulation by Friday morning, with the deepest snow along the southern edge of the county, and snow amounts tapering off to the north. The snow will diminish after midnight, but light snow is expected to continue through the Friday morning commute.
Forecasters also mentioned the possibility of embedded thunderstorms ("thundersnow") within the area of the most intense storm activity. Local areas of higher snowfall are possible for communities impacted by the most intense parts of the storm.
The most likely hazards from this storm system will be the intense snowfall this evening, so travelers should use caution and allow extra time to safely reach their destinations tonight.
Please continue to monitor your usual weather information sources for ongoing updates.
Here is the text of the Winter Weather Advisory issued by the NWS at 11:10 today:
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URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
1110 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012
...RAIN TO CHANGE TO A WET SNOW AND BE HEAVY AT TIMES TONIGHT..
.RAIN WILL CHANGE TO A WET SNOW FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THIS EVENING AS A COMPLEX LOW PRESSURE EVOLVES ACROSS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND INDIANA. THE SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES THIS EVENING...ESPECIALLY IN THE HOURS JUST AFTER CHANGEOVER TO SNOW. SOME ACCOMPANYING THUNDER IS POSSIBLE ...AND WHERE THIS OCCURS THERE WILL BE LOCALIZED HIGHER AMOUNTS. THE MOST FAVORED AREA TO SEE LOCALIZED HIGHER AMOUNTS GREATER THAN SIX INCHES IS ACROSS DEKALB...KANE...DUPAGE...AND NORTHERN COOK COUNTIES. THE SNOW WILL
GRADUALLY TAPER FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO
9 AM CST FRIDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM CST FRIDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
* TIMING...RAIN WILL CHANGE TO A WET SNOW ACROSS FAR NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...INCLUDING CHICAGO...EARLY THIS EVENING. SNOW MAY
BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES DURING THE EVENING AND EARLY OVERNIGHT
HOURS...BEFORE GRADUALLY TAPERING IN INTENSITY INTO EARLY FRIDAY
MORNING.
* ACCUMULATIONS...FOUR TO SEVEN INCHES...WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS
ACROSS DUPAGE...NORTHERN COOK...AND SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTIES.
* MAIN IMPACT...HEAVY WET SNOW MAY FALL AT RATES GREATER THAN AN
INCH PER HOUR AFTER 8 PM. THIS WILL LIKELY RESULT IN QUICK
ACCUMULATION OF WET SNOW ON ROADS...RESULTING IN SLIPPERY AND
POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS.
* OTHER IMPACTS...IN ADDITION TO ACCUMULATION AND SLIPPERY
TRAVEL IMPACTS...STRONG WINDS WILL RESULT IN WIND WHIPPED
HEAVY WET SNOW CAUSING SEVERELY REDUCED VISIBILITIES THIS
EVENING THROUGH TONIGHT. DUE TO THE HIGH LIQUID CONTENT OF THE
SNOW...THOSE WITH HEALTH CONCERNS SHOULD USE CAUTION WHEN
SHOVELING.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
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