As a “complex” storm system makes its way into the Chicago area and threatens to snarl the Friday afternoon commute, nearly a dozen counties are now under a winter storm warning or a winter storm advisory, with rain, heavy snow and gusty winds predicted to be the main threats.
According to the National Weather Service, a winter storm warning for Kankakee and eastern Will Counties in Illinois, as well as Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties in Indiana took effect at 12 p.m. Friday.
In those counties, “heavy, wet snow, intense snow rates, strong northeast winds and low visibility” is expected, an alert from the NWS says.
However, “due to the nature of the expected narrow snow band,” the alert continues, some areas could see between four to eight inches of snow, while others could see snowfall of less than four inches.
In DuPage, Kendall, Grundy, Cook and northern and southern Will Counties, a winter weather advisory will go into effect, also at 12 p.m. There, a wintry mix of rain and wet, slushy snow is more likely.
Additionally, strong winds gusts between 35 and 45 miles per hour are expected until 9 p.m., with “damaging gusts” possible between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., the NWS said in a tweet.
In a statement released Thursday, ComEd says it is putting in place equipment and additional crews in order to be “prepared for potential power outages.”
“We know this can be a one-two punch for people who were affected by last week’s weather,” President and COO of ComEd Terence Donnelly said in an email, making reference to an ice storm last week that resulted in power knocked out for some 200,000 customers. “We are taking proactive steps now to be ready to work quickly and safely to restore power to any customers who lose service,” Donnelly added.
According to the NWS, both the warning and the advisory will expire at 10 p.m. Friday.
Timing of the Storm
Although rain may begin to move across southern counties in the morning, much of the winter weather is not expected to hit until the late afternoon commute, between 2 and 6 p.m., the NWS says, when quick snowfall is expected to occur in some parts.
“Difficult to potentially crippling commute this afternoon and evening where snow falls the heaviest,” the NWS said in a tweet. “Slowed and slippery travel expected everywhere else.”
According to forecast models, hazardous travel is most likely to occur across Northwest Indiana, east of I-57.
While timing remains the same for the counties in the winter weather advisory, precipitation in those parts is more likely stay in the form of rain potentially transitioning to snow, the NBC 5 Storm Team says. However, the rate of precipitation is could snarl roads.
“Plan on hazardous road conditions including the Friday afternoon and evening commute,” the NWS says. “If snow falls hard enough, some slushy accumulations are possible on untreated roads.”
Additionally strong winds are likely to last much of the day, with the strongest gusts between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., forecast models show.
Snow or Rain?
According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, heaviest snow is most likely to fall east of I-57, where a winter storm warning will go into effect at 12 p.m. In those parts and in Northwest Indiana, quick, heavy snowfall is most likely to occur, with four to seven inches of snow predicted.
In central Illinois, where at 12 p.m. counties including Cook will be under a winter weather advisory, “slushy snow accumulations up to an inch” is expected, the NWS says, although totals of between two and four inches are possible. In those areas, temperatures are expected to remain in the mid to high 30s.
“The snow will be wet and slushy with temperatures near or just above freezing,” the NWS says. “if snow falls hard enough, some slushy accumulations are possible on untreated roads.”
Additionally, heavy rainfall prior to snow could result in localized flooding, forecast models show.
By evening, snow and other forms of precipitation will slowly diminish, the NBC 5 Storm Team says.
This story has been updated as forecast models continue to evolve.
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from NBC Chicago https://ift.tt/1CioyQH
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